Opening Dangerous Gates
by LadyD0544
Summary: The Grand Magic Games are over and Fairy Tail is busy! and a certain Celestial Mage is sick of only getting perverted job offers. Until one comes in that isn't, and it requires a S-Class mage with a few tag-alongs to get Lucy's hands on a mysterious black key that looks a lot like a Death God to her.. Wait.. There's something else here too.. Read to find out! [multiple characters!]
1. Chapter 1: Odd Requests

**Hello! This is my first ever fanfic! I actually got the idea from Beelzebub and thought this would be funny. I tend to jump from manga to manga, but I just got into Fairy Tail and am currently in love with Bleach, so I thought I'd try combining the two! **

**This is mostly a Fairy Tail fic with Bleach characters only occasionally coming in. I hope you guys like it! Reviews are appreciated!**

**Oh and I own nothing. Hiro Mashima and Tite Kubo do. Alright there.. I said it.**

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Fairy Tail guild was buzzing with activity as the new number one guild in Fiore. It had only been a month since the Grand Magic Games and not only had the town rebuilt the guild hall with amenities galore, but requests were flooding in. It wasn't just high ranking and high paying jobs, but jobs requesting mages specifically. Fairy Tail had never been so busy, or experienced such an odd diversity of teams.. Gray and Natsu were continuously requested, even though they fought each other more than the enemy.. and destroyed everything..

Literally everything.. But still, they were in high demand.

Even though at this point they were only accepting job requests to repay their previous employers for all the damages, which incidentally were requested with them as a pair time and time again.

Then there was the request asking for Gajeel and Natsu; both were guaranteed to be in debt for at least a year and Makarov found himself signing more letters of apology and warnings from the Magic Council then he thought humanly possible.

The worst was the one requesting Natsu, Gajeel, and Laxus.. Words couldn't describe how horribly wrong that one went. Fairy Tail would have been disbanded if it weren't for their recent win at the games and huge popularity.

Erza and Wendy found themselves on numerous jobs as well, from as small as rare candy as the reward to S-class missions. Always completed without a hitch and the duo finding themselves within Lucy's house sharing their reward; only to head out the next day on yet another mission.

Lucy found herself flooded with requests as well; in fact she probably had more requests than anyone else within the guild, except for Mirajane - which the two were usually requested together. Mostly to "escort" nobles from point A to point B.. and always with outfit requests and sometimes clothing optional notes at the bottom.. those jobs found themselves in the trash bin before making it to the board, and Lucy found herself lingering at the bar most days. If she couldn't find a decent job not asking her to be present in a bikini or less then she wasn't going anywhere. It's not that she hated the attention or anything; in fact she was surprised she was requested as much as she was after losing her first match and being so horribly beaten in the second. Yeah all the other guilds were aware she only lost the first match because Raven Tail cheated, and she managed to place second against a water mage in a naval battle and against the strongest woman in the tournament after Erza without the aid of her spirits, but she didn't feel her performances were all that impressive. Especially since any non-mage wouldn't have seen it that way.

"Lucy what's the matter? You've seemed so down lately.." Lucy slowly brought her head up from its place on the bar counter to see Mirajane on the other side with a drink for her.

"Sorry Mira, I'm just in a funk I guess thinking about the magic games again.." Attempting a less than cheerful smile, she noticed the drink in Mira's hands.

"No thanks Mira, no drinks for me today, I've gotta hold off for my rent." With a big smile Mira handed her the drink anyways, "Don't worry about it Lucy, your drinks are on the house! I hate seeing my favorite Celestial Mage in such a depressed mood. You know, you did amazing at the games Lucy.. We were all so impressed. The spell you cast in your match against Raven Tail was so beautiful! I could feel the power from it! When did you learn that?"

She shyly accepted the drink and blushed a little at Mira's praise, "Hibiki actually showed it to me, I'm still working on mastering it though.. I can't complete it without Gemini yet." As soon as the words left her mouth she sunk in her seat again, dwelling on how she still needed to get stronger. Mira decided a change of subject might be more appropriate, "You know Lucy we could always accept one of those jobs! It might help cheer you up!" Mira chirped thinking she was doing the girl a favor, instead Lucy got even more depressed thinking of her only job offers coming in.. asking her to parade around dirty old men half naked, nothing requiring her to actually do any real mage work.

"Why so down chick? Drink your beer faster and you'll start feeling better." Lucy jumped at the unannounced presence of the man who was suddenly sitting next to her. She didn't think she'd ever had a conversation with Laxus before, and having him smirk down at her wasn't helping ease her nerves in his presence.

"Lucy's depressed because she doesn't think she did very well in the games, and because all her requests coming in are asking her to show off her hot body and not her magic," Mira chimed in giving Lucy a big wink.

"_Mira if this is another attempt at match-making I'm going to kill you" _Lucy thought dryly.

"Didn't do well? What makes you think that? As far as gramps and anyone else is concerned you did Fairy Tail proud. It's not about winning or losing matches, it's about showing strength. Not the kind of strength that show-cases your power, but your will to fight. Your first match didn't count, you got jipped and that was our fault for not making sure the fights stayed fair, especially since we knew Raven Tail had it out for us. But even after that you got back up. You actually stood up to that crazy Sabertooth chick knowing you couldn't win and refusing to back down even without your keys, that's a win in my book." Laxus took a long drink from his mug, refusing to make eye contact with either woman as they both had shocked expressions on their faces.

"Wow Laxus, thanks.. that actually makes me feel better." Lucy was still in shock, she'd never had a single conversation with the guy and here he was actually making her feel better. Mira was in so much shock she couldn't speak let alone move. After a few moments she regained her composure with a warm smile, "_You've changed so much, I'm so proud of you Laxus."_

As if on cue to save Laxus from his awkward moment of kindness, the Raijinshuu popped up out of almost thin air.

"Yeah cosplay queen, you did awesome, right babies?" Bixlow popped up behind Laxus with his trademark smile and guild mark show, his dolls floating around Lucy squeaking in unison "Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!"

"Yes Lucy, you mustn't be so down on yourself, in fact we should apologize for not keeping an eye on Raven Tail sooner." Freed's expression held a little bit of regret and a little anger at the thought of how Fairy Tail was cheated the first day.

"Lucy's a man!" Elfman shouted as he jumped on a table, with Evergreen giving Lucy a sideways smirk while attempting to bring Elfman down; Lisanna laughing and agreeing with her brother. Before she knew it the entire guild was praising her and drinking way more than necessary. Levy finally arrived with Gajeel and Lily right behind her having just finished their mission, taking a seat next to Lucy and noticing Laxus on her other side. Gajeel walked off towards his dark creepy corner passing Droy and Jet crying over a barrel after seeing Levy returning from a mission with the Dragon Slayer.. again.

Helping Droy and Jet drink away their sorrows was fun for the first 5 barrels, but Cana decided the tears were a bit too much and decided to find more upbeat company. Cana wobbled towards the small crowd gathering at the bar finishing her barrel and setting her sights on Lucy. She instantly thought of the moment they shared a few days ago in the guild's bath house. Instantly getting an idea that would change the girl's mood around with an evil smirk. After slowly creeping up behind Lucy, Cana dropped the empty barrel and greeted her with a firm boob grope. It took Lucy a solid 5 seconds to fully comprehend what Cana was doing, and it wasn't until she saw Laxus and Bixlow staring at her chest with cocky lustful grins accompanied by Freed's violent nose bleed and scarlet red blush that she snapped out of it; attempting to escape Cana's wondering hands.

"Oh Luuuucyyyyy, don't fight it, after all you did jump me in the baths the other day." Cana purred waggling her eyebrows and Lucy instantly began glowing red. All the men in the guild were suddenly getting very vivid images, finding that happy place in their minds which involved them in the picture with the two beauties.

"Oooooh really? Cana, you should know better than to leave me out of these parties. How about I walk you and cosplay girl home?" Bixlow instantly had his arms around the two girls trying to pull them towards the guild doors, until he suddenly disappeared. And there was a hole in the ceiling. With Natsu standing where Bixlow once was with a big toothy grin in place and Happy flying circles around Lucy's head.

"Lucyyyyyyyyyyy! I missed you!" Happy began hugging the top of Lucy's head with tears streaming down his face. "Hi Happy, I missed you too! Are you just getting back? I hope you stayed out of trouble."

"Yeah.. me and Natsu wanted to come see you! Natsu and Gray fought almost the entire time again, but at least the damage only cost us the reward money!" Everybody sweat dropped. Lucy began petting Happy, thinking how glad she was to have not been on any of the recent missions with Natsu and Gray, she'd be negative rent money by now.

"By the way Lucy, what are you and Cana doing?" Happy asked in his innocent voice and a tilt of the head. Lucy instantly remembered her compromising situation and squeaked once she realized Cana's hands were still firmly in place.

"Hey Cana that's not fair! I thought I was the only one to grope Lucy!" Natsu whined and pouted as he tore Lucy away from Cana's grabbing.

"WHHAAAAAAAAT?!" was screamed in unison throughout the guild. Lucy died a little bit on the inside.

"Wow Flame Brain, how hard did she Lucy-kick you for that one?" Gray smirked pulling Lucy away from Natsu sensing her discomfort and trying to reduce the red hue that was currently engulfing her body from her complete embarrassment.

"Gray.. your clothes.." Mira voiced realizing Lucy was worse off being held by a completely naked man at the moment.

"Mira what are you WHAT THE FUCK?!" Gray back tracked out the guild finding random articles of clothing, Juvia closing in behind him glaring at Lucy, "Gray-sama! Why don't you share a naked embrace with Juvia?"

"Nope. Don't want to. Told you I'm going to say no to the things I don't like anymore Juvia."

Juvia instantly glared daggers at Lucy, creating a dark aura screaming death while mumbling "love rival.. love rival.."

_Why is she so creepy.._

"Hey Luce! Let's go on a mission! Just us!" Natsu declared completely oblivious of the embarrassment he'd just caused the girl minutes before. "O_h Natsu.. you idiot.." _Lucy whined internally and began shrinking in her chair after hearing all the cat calls from the men in the guild, completely misunderstanding the whole situation and Natsu's stupidity. Before she could even reply Master Makarov came waltzing down the stairs, "Lucy! A request came in for you!" "_ughhhhh not again.."_ just when she thought the new job request was going to be like all the others Makarov instantly answered her internal question, "no perverts this time Lucy, in fact you've been requested because of the reward." Everyone looked at him in question, who requests a mage for the reward? That just didn't make any sense.

Makarov got a devious smirk and answered, "Apparently there's a gate key no one's ever seen before, and they want you to have it."


	2. Chapter 2: Odd Predicaments

"A gate key no one's seen before.. What do you mean master?" Mira inquired, interest completely peaked.

"No one really knows, and no one can open the gate unless they know its name. Apparently it's been hidden for hundreds of years." Makarov answered while rubbing his chin and thinking the situation over. "They saw you at the Grand Magic Games Lucy and seeing you open so many Zodiac gates simultaneously and casting Urano Metria caught their attention."

Everyone at the guild was now fully listening to Makarov spill all the details, interests fully peaked. "But master.. Why me? Yukino is also a celestial mage.." Lucy mumbled in a moment of self-doubt.

"Lucy, you're the strongest Celestial Mage this turn of the century, probably even longer than that. You have more Zodiac keys than any other mage that our archives can recall, and the bond you share with them is exceptional. I believe this key has been waiting for you Lucy Heartfilia, go my child! Go claim what's rightfully yours!"

At this the entire guild started shouting, giving Lucy praises and wishing her luck on her mission. Which she still had absolutely no details on. "Master, what exactly is the mission?"

"Oh that's right I almost forgot.. well it turns out that the key isn't just locked away but being guarded by a demon thought to originate from the book of Zeref. So all you have to do is kill the demon, storm the vault and grab the key!" Makarov answered with a bright smile, as everyone else felt a sense of impending doom looming over their shoulders over his overly simplistic attitude over a very serious threat.

"All right! Let's go Luce! I'm all fired up!" Natsu sang as he literally began burning and shooting fire out of his mouth.

"Oh, I almost forgot, it's actually an S-Class mission so you have to take an S-class mage with you. Since Erza's still out with Wendy, Gildartz is gone and Mira is currently out of duty, Laxus will go with you." Makarov finished with another smile.

"WHAT?! We don't need Laxus! I'll prove it! Fight me right now Laxus, I'll kick your a-" Natsu was face first into the wall before he could even finish his sentence. Laxus still sitting next to the blonde girl a little peeved about being thrown into this mess, and for what? A key? Bullshit.

"Oh, and there's also a money reward too, 5,000,000 jewels since the demon is causing quite a ruckus in the nearby town" Makarov added with another bright smile

"IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'RE FORGETTING TO MENTION?!" Laxus and Lucy shouted in unison, looking at each other briefly then focusing back on the old man at the exact same time.

Happy was now sitting in Levy's lap, looking at Laxus and Lucy's identical reactions and facial expressions, "cute couple.." he purred with eyes wide and angelic. Lucy instantly reached for her whip, the blue cat had caused her enough embarrassment for one night and decided enough was enough, until Gray stepped in. "Count me in! Can't let the dragon slayers have all the fun," Gray winked at Lucy, instantly calming her anger as she smiled back at her friend.

"Juvia will go too. Juvia will show love rival how to properly defeat a demon." Juvia was still glaring daggers at Lucy. _"Guess she's still mad about the whole embrace thing.. heh.. heh.." _Lucy sweat dropped with an uneasy smile.

"Not-uh, no way, if anyone's accompanying Laxus-sama it's the Raijinshuu!" Fried instantly proclaimed with Evergreen beside him and Bixlow cursing and fixing his now dented helmet thanks to Natsu's unannounced hello.

"I aint splitting the reward 8 ways. As of right now it's me and the chick going, you guys can fight amongst yourselves to decide who comes with." Laxus finished with a scowl looking at Lucy to find any objections. Which there was none.

"Well since the mission is meant for Lucy she should pick who gets to go!" Natsu proclaimed, pulling his head out from the wall, rubbing both where he was punched by Laxus and where his head collided with solid stone and wood.

"It's an S-class mission kid, she can't even go unless I'm with her so it's both our decisions."

Lucy was really starting to like Laxus. He had no problem putting his foot down and wasn't completely excluding her, even though she was sure he'd be doing all the fighting and hard work.

"Well since my only real goal is the key, and maybe some rent money, I'll leave specifics up to Laxus. Natsu, Gray, you can come only if you promise not to destroy everything and cost us our reward." Lucy finally spoke up, not wanting to completely leave her team/partners/friends out, especially since she hadn't really seen them all too much recently.

"Tch fine, when we heading out?" Laxus asked, giving an exasperated look at the ice and fire mages, already anticipating all the aggravation they're going to cause him. Truth be told he'd rather just go with the chick and get it done and over with... Wait? Just him and the chick? Thoughts of boob groping popped in his head and he instantly regretted not putting his foot down that no one else was going. Damn.. Oh well.

"You leave tomorrow morning! Oh by the way it's actually in the next country over Seven, it should take you about 12 hours by train to get there. Good luck my children!"

"_Yet another detail he forgot to mention.."_ Lucy and Laxus both thought, eye rolling at the same time, causing Happy to giggle once again.

And with that Master Makarov finally took his leave after handing the job description to Laxus, who was paling and already growing nauseous just thinking of the ride. The look on Natsu's face showed he felt the same way.

"Can't we just walk.."

"NO!"

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The next morning Lucy arrived at the train station. A little more tired than usual only because Levy and Cana insisted on helping her pack and talking about the boys she was going on her mission with. Levy had been dying to ask Lucy what was going on with Laxus being so friendly with her, but she quickly brushed it off as nothing; slightly damping Levy's fantasies about blonde haired babies using lightning magic and summoning spirits. Cana took it upon herself to pack all of Lucy's lingerie, insisting Lucy be ready for any situation. Lucy had no idea what situations Cana pictured, but she didn't dare ask. In fact, she's actually pretty positive Cana slipped in a few pairs of her own deciding not all of Lucy's undergarments were "sexy enough".

Lucy sighed recalling everything from the night before, and kind of sad Erza wasn't there for the mission. But getting to know Laxus a little might not be such a bad thing, and maybe this mission will help him and Natsu get a long a little bet-

Before she could even finish her thought the ground rumbled and lightning struck, followed by flames, ice, and then what looked like Runes encasing the damage. Lucy could hear dolls chirping "Fight! Fight! Fight!" and instantly knew this mission would most likely be her undoing.

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**Alright guys, I'm open to criticism, and character requests. If my story is liked I'll continue! Thank you! And this is not a romance, I just like the sexual implications, maybe I should change my rating.. **


	3. Chapter 3: Regret

**Please bear with me, I'm still figuring out how to upload and edit my story. I thought I uploaded all 3 chapters, I mean who mentions a Bleach crossover without at least introducing a Bleach character?! Again.. I apologize.. **

**I know the last two chapters were short, but I didn't want to overwhelm anyone with novel-lengthed chapters. The farther we get into the story the longer the chapters become, I promise.**

**Enjoy!**

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"_Thank Mavis for Freed's runes,_" Lucy thought noticing the lack of damage caused to the immediate area; however her internal musings were cut short by Bixlow's laughter at Natsu and Grays expense as they were being completely man handled in the middle of the train station. Onlookers passed by quickly in an attempt to avoid eye contact with the pissed off looking Lightning Mage; and mothers covered their children's eyes since somehow Gray managed to take his clothes off between fighting Natsu and being picked up by Laxus.

"Put me down Lightning Rod! I've got an issue with Ice Prick!"

"What did you call Laxus-sama?!"

"Let's go Fire Brain! You can start fights all you want, I'll finish em'!"

"Hahahahahaaaa, look babies, this is going to be fun!"

"He he! He he! Fun! Fun! Fun!"

"Gihi.. Looking good Salamander."

"Wait.. Gajeel?! What are you doing here?" Lucy finally decided to speak up since her arrival.

"We decided to accompany you; Gajeel thought maybe he'd find some clues to Metalicana's whereabouts." Lily popped up from behind Gajeel, Lucy also noticed Happy sitting down on the bench way too preoccupied with a fish to pay attention to Natsu's predicament.

"So are Juvia and Evergreen coming too?" Lucy asked Laxus, slightly surprised at how many people were actually at the station, especially since Gajeel wasn't even originally under consideration for their make-shift team.

"Nope, this is it. I told Freed and Bixlow not to come but they insisted; _he_ just happened to be at the train station when we got here." Laxus was giving Gajeel a disapproving look that he seemed to completely ignore.

"Hey Luce! Did you sleep well?" Natsu chirped, seemingly forgetting the death grip Laxus still had on his neck.

"Well I've slept better I guess.. Uhh Gray your clothes.."

"What the fu- when did this happen?"

"Idiot.." "idiot! Idiot! Idiot!" Bixlow laughed again after hearing his dolls chime in.

"I believe this is our train." Freed grabbed his and Laxus's luggage and began boarding the train. Natsu and Happy walked on with Lucy as Bixlow followed after Gray, still laughing at the Ice Mages antics. Gajeel and Lily were the last to board, debating whether or not traveling with the group was a good idea.. But if somebody wasn't there to pull him off the train after a bout of motion sickness, he'd be screwed.

Lucy found herself in a rather large compartment which felt tiny with everyone inside. Gajeel and Natsu found themselves on either side of Lucy, both lying in her lap as the motion sickness took over. Laxus sat directly across next to the window, fiercely staring out in an attempt to look calm and serene, even though his motion sickness was just as bad as the other two. Freed of course sat right next to Laxus with Bixlow and Gray, snickering at Gajeel and Natsu's condition.

_"This is going to be a long ride.."_

* * *

12 hours later accompanied by non-stop snoring, fidgeting, bickering, pushing, and a rather nasty accumulation of saliva on Lucy's lap thanks to the two Dragon Slayers using her as a pillow, the team finally arrived. Gray dragging Natsu by his scarf, Lily flying Gajeel and Laxus still pretending to be perfectly fine, they all made their way to Seven's first train station, in the city of Acolia.

"So where we heading?" Natsu asked trying to jump over Laxus' shoulder to get a glimpse at the map.

"See that mountain over there?" Laxus said pointing to a very large mountain maybe an hours walk away.

"That's where we're headed. But I'm not stupid enough to challenge an S-class demon at night, so we find somewhere to sleep and head out at first light." Laxus didn't suggest, he explained. That was the plan; nobody was going to offer suggestions.

"Yeah, we should probably see our employer first about the job, maybe find any details the master might've left out.." Lucy sighed, followed by a grunt of approval from Laxus and a groan from Natsu.

"Right now?! But.. But.. Lucy! I'm starving!" Both Natsu and Happy instantly started with the fake tears.

"We don't all need to meet with him, go ahead, in fact all of you can go grab a bite and I'll meet with the employer." Lucy suggested with a smile, knowing how much Natsu eats and assuming the rest were just as hungry. The snacks on the train weren't the greatest and the Dragon Slayers weren't able to eat at all, thanks to the motion sickness.

"But Luce.." Natsu pouted. "What Natsu? Go ahead and get started without me, I don't mind," Lucy raised an eyebrow, she thought he'd jump on the opportunity to ditch work and eat instead. "We're a team! and a team should eat together! Right Happy?!" Natsu beamed at his friend who perched himself on Lucy's shoulder, "Aye sir!"

"Natsu.. You just want me to pay for the food don't you.." Natsu fell to the floor, shocked at having been called out as he laughed half-heartedly and scratched the back of his head.

Everyone else sweat dropped. Lucy had to keep herself calm to prevent herself from pulling her whip out.

"Heh.. Heh.. Well I don't really have any cash thanks to Ice Princess over there always breaking everything on our missions!" Lucy closed her eyes in annoyance, _"Natsu you're the one doing most of the damages.." _she inwardly face palmed and handed Natsu her wallet. "Have at it.. I'm still gonna go talk to our employer." Tears slowly fell down her face thinking of how broke she was going to be after feeding Natsu and Happy.

"Wow Cosplay Queen! That's so nice of you to buy us all dinner!" Bixlow decided to jump on the opportunity, waggling his tongue. "Nice! Nice! Nice!"

"Thanks Luce, you're the best! I'll be sure to get your meal next time!" Gray slung his arm around Lucy, desperately trying to ignore Natsu's previous jab in hopes of not ruining his free meal. He was just as broke as the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Gihi, hope you brought your life savings Bunny Girl," Gajeel added giving Lucy his, 'you're so fucked' smirk before chasing after Natsu who was holding Lucy's wallet as if it were the GMG trophy, Happy flying in circles fist pumping.

She coyly eyed Laxus and Freed, waiting to see what their next move would be. Freed gave Lucy a small smile in an attempt to cheer her up from her very unfortunate situation. Instead of jumping on the meal he offered to get the hotel rooms as Laxus decided to go with Lucy to meet their employer; since it required an S-class mage he figured he should at least be there.

* * *

Finding the employers house was simple, it was the only mansion in the town.

Once introductions were made Lucy took note of the gentleman's home. He had multiple paintings, artifacts, old relics and tapestries that looked as though they should be in a museum. The three finally made it to what Lucy assumed to be his office and instantly noticed the gigantic mural that took up the entire wall behind the desk. The painting consisted of strange demon creatures battling figures in all black cloaks. The cloaked men looked as though they were descending upon the sky, each one with a scythe in his hand and a sword in the other. They looked like reapers, but why were they fighting demons? Don't reapers supposedly collect souls? Lucy's train of thought was disturbed by Laxus clearing his throat - apparently their employer had asked her a question.

"Oh! Umm, I'm sorry, I was so focused on your mural.. I guess I got sidetracked.. " She faintly blushed, a little embarrassed to make a fool of herself in front of their employer and Laxus, but the old man was actually intrigued to see the girl putting so much interest in the painting.

"It's not a problem my dear, in fact that mural is the oldest relic in my home. I don't know much about it honestly, but what I do know is that the warriors in black are called Shinigami. Or Death Gods if you will.." The old man tried to gauge they girls reaction, she found herself focused once again on the images.

"It looks like they're fighting the demons, but what are the creatures with holes in their bodies?" She was pointing at the figures appearing to come from below, these ones had fragments of bone and looked even scarier than the demons themselves.

"Those my dear, I am not sure. I couldn't tell you whether or not they're good or evil, in fact you couldn't really use either word to describe the Shinigami either. But this is all folk lore and stories we tell the children to scare them when they misbehave." He began waving his hand in front of his face, shooing away the notion.

Laxus and the old man continued to talk business as Lucy continued to study the picture, she'd never heard of any stories about Shinigami or the odd white creatures coming from the ground. Must be a legend only known in this country..

"Lucy my dear there is undoubtedly a key within that cave. Though no one has seen it in over 400 years we know the demon still lurks in the dark; he manages to slip into town every so often and people suddenly go missing. The key is yours regardless, everything in that room belongs to my family - in defeating him I will also have access to all of my ancestor's belongings hence the huge sum of the reward. But be careful, many have entered that cave and never returned.. You do have more mages with you correct?" The old man asked eyeing Laxus skeptically. The mage seemed a little too cocky, and completely unaware of what awaited them in the cave. "Don't worry, we've got it handled. We are Fairy Tail after all." Laxus gave a grin exuding confidence, even making Lucy feel at ease after the old man's warning.

"I do hope so.. I wish you both the best of luck, especially you Lucy, good luck in opening that key." The old man waved the couple off as they headed towards their hotel room. It was getting rather late and Laxus and Lucy had yet to eat, they figured the rest of the team had to be back by then so the pair decided to call it a night and just order room service. They had a big day ahead of them tomorrow, they could explore the town after their mission.

* * *

The morning came quickly, and Lucy was the first one up. She didn't sleep much; she was too busy racking her brain over this new key she had absolutely no knowledge about. She knew every constellation in the sky, all their names and how to summon them, but an unknown key? What could it possibly be? What gate could it possibly open? Was it even safe.. Well she wanted to find out. They didn't come all the way to another country just to change their minds. Plus she had three Dragon Slayers, a Runes Mage, an Ice Mage, and a Seith Mage. What could possibly go wrong?

"So what's the deal with the demon?" Bixlow was walking next to Laxus and Freed as Natsu, Happy, Gray, Gajeel, Lily, and Lucy followed closely behind. Lucy was still feeling unnaturally tense about the mission - the employer hadn't really given them much information other than there being a key, a demon, and some old relics; and what was the deal with the creepy painting? The old man wasn't any better than Makarov with the details..

"Don't know, old guy didn't say much, guess we'll deal with it when we get there." Laxus didn't even spare Bixlow a glance as he grinned confidently. He usually didn't strategize, never really needed to, especially with so many powerful mages in the group. Natsu and Gray were constantly arguing about something while Gajeel smirked everytime the Fire Dragon Slayer would get smacked in the head by Lucy - either for being to loud or just out of irritation. It seemed like she was the only one uncomfortable with charging into a 400 year old demon's lair, so she just brushed her nagging subconscious under the rug and trusted in her team.

Before the group knew it they were standing before the mountain, all that was left was to find the entrance. Gajeel had already taken off, only accompanying the group to see if there were any hints about Metalicana's whereabouts. Freed set his runes all around the mountain, and Natsu and Laxus decided to use their keen sense of smell and vision. Lucy called Virgo to dig around and attempt to find any openings, and if not maybe tunnel one. Happy began flying overhead but not findings much.. The group didn't bother checking for the demon, they figured once they found the cave the monster would surely follow.

Freed jolted when his magic landed on the cave's opening and he alerted the others, all members of the group moved their way towards the entrance; but nothing could have prepared them for what was inside.

They walked for what felt like hours, until finally spotting something glowing just a little ahead. Once the group was inside they were amazed by all the lost artifacts and what appeared to be scrolls, scripts, books, and hidden treasure; all clearly as old as the mural hanging in the old mans room. "_I wonder if any information about the key is in any of these books.." _Lucy started to wonder, also interested in the prospect of a good book. She was so focused on finding the key she didn't notice how tense the atmosphere had become for her group.

Nothing had shown up, absolutely no resistance. This was going way too easy.. Until the Dragon Slayers finally caught the smell and noticed the sight. The floor were absolutely riddled with corpses - they looked like a combination of knights, ancient warriors, and mages. Some were fairly recent - maybe a year or so; some however were very, very old. It was then that they realized it. There was no resistance because the demon wanted them to come all the way into the depths f the cave, they were lured in; they had walked right into a trap and with no key in sight.

"Find that key. Right now chick. We need to get the hell out of here." Laxus' voice was stern, but calm with a sense of urgency. Even Natsu and Gray knew this was no time for games or bickering. This was wrong, very wrong.

As if sensing their unease, a grumbled laugh vibrated throughout the cave.

"Well well well, what have we here.. six little mages who wondered into the wrong cave, how unfortunate.." The voice was deep and eerie, it vibrated throughout the cave and pinpointing it was nearly impossible, even with heightened Dragon Slayer senses.

"Hmmmm? Is that a woman I smell?" the voice suddenly sounded interested and Lucy couldn't conceal the 'eep' that left her mouth.

"Oh what a lovely sound.. I'll save her for last.. Females are so much fun when they scream.." Natsu growled, shooting his flames in every which direction.

"You won't touch a hair on her head creep! Now show yourself so I can kick your ass for even thinking about hurting my friend!" Laxus, Bixlow, and Gray instantly circled around Lucy in a protective stance, not sure of where the first attack may come from. Freed instantly began writing protective runes.

"Heh heh heh.. A Dragon Slayer ehh? I can smell your flames boy.. and I can almost taste the lightning." Laxus tensed at the comment. This wasn't right, there was something very different about this demon. For the first time in Laxus' life he was actually regretting taking the job and not preparing for it; for bringing the girl here and not allowing more to come. He was hoping Gajeel would come flying in, three Dragon Slayers were better than two.

As everyone was considering their next form of action, Natsu was suddenly thrown into the wall with a sickening crack that echoed throughout the cave; then crashed into a pile of old scroll and books and knocking the whole shelf over.

"Natsu!" Happy and Lucy cried in unison, Happy tried flying towards his friend, only to be slammed in the same manner. Slowly from the shadows it finally appeared. The demon they were sent to kill, but it wasn't the type of demon they were expecting - this demon looked almost completely human. If he weren't nearly 8 foot with canines and horns, he could have easily passed for a man. A very large, muscular, scary looking man with tattered pants that looked to be as old as the room.

"Tell me, what did you come here for? Treasure? Take it if you can." The demon gave a toothy grin as it disappeared. Was it shadow magic?

"Where did he go?!" Right as the words left Gray's mouth he was coughing up blood as a hard blow hit him from behind. He staggered for a moment then felt a violent wave of vibrations echo through every hollow organ in his body. He felt his stomach churn, his lungs compress, his heart skip a few beats and then bounce back irregularly. He'd never felt a sensation like this; but before he could mutter a word he felt his whole world go black.

"Gray!" Lucy was screaming now, tears falling down her face as the images of Gray, Natsu, and Happy being so severely wounded in so little time finally settled. This wasn't possible, this was Natsu! He never gave up! He always managed to get back up and somehow out do his opponents, so why wasn't he getting up?!

"Yes. Do it again. Scream for me again sweet heart.. I can smell your tears.. I can't wait to taste them." Another sob left the girl at the implications of his words, and the sight before her. She subconsciously grasped onto Laxus' jacket, angry for accepting the mission.. Angry she couldn't do anything.. Angry she was so useless and weak. This was worse than the games, she didn't know what to do, and even Laxus was stiff and uneasy, jerking his head trying to catch a glimpse of the demon before it could strike. Freed's runes shone, apparently keeping said monster away from the group, but then they shattered. Freed's magic broke, Lucy was now vulnerable, but also free to move. Without thinking twice she ran towards Natsu, she had to make sure he was alive, make sure he was okay. He was their hope, and her best friend. She couldn't stand the thought of him dying in a cave like this.

"Lucy! Stop!" Laxus and Bixlow both screamed, but the demon was already in front of her, finger under her chin - analyzing his prey.

"Mmmmmmm very nice. I was just going to eat you but now that I've seen you that would be too much of a waste. I'll make you scream pet, in more ways than one." He finished off as he dragged his tongue from the base of her neck all the way up to her face. "O_h Mavis.. Natsu.. Help me.." _Lucy squeezed her eyes closed until the sensation was gone, and then it was replaced with fire. When she reopened her eyes Natsu was standing where the monster was, struggling to breath but managing a solid hit. Looking down at her he smirked, holding out a key like object; how Natsu found the key so quickly was beyond her, but she didn't question him as she took it.

"Hey Luce, is this what you were looking for?" He gave a crooked smile; standing was a lot more difficult then he thought it would be. He heard her screaming his name, felt her by his side and couldn't just let things lie the way they were. He said he wouldn't let the demon touch a hair on her head - he planned on keeping that promise. The only problem was the ringing in his ears followed by a nauseating feeling in his stomach. His heart was working in overtime as his lungs were coming in shallow. His breathing had become erratic after standing, but when he noticed the shiny black object around the demon's neck he couldn't just ignore it and do nothing. Lucy needed him, needed that key. He was turning towards Laxus - wanting to warn him to not let the demon land a solid hit, but as soon as he took a breath he was gone. The monster was now holding the Dragon Slayer by the throat until it disappeared again - dropping Natsu - right as Laxus formed a lightning attack followed by Bixlow's dolls. Lucy managed to grab Happy and dragged Natsu to where Gray was still unconscious, and taking very shallow breaths. Freed attempted runes again, half their team was already in bad shape and completely defenseless; but it was pointless. If this thing was able to break his runes so easily, what chance did they have? The injured were simply at his mercy, especially Lucy.

"Laxus my runes aren't holding - this was a bad idea. We need to get out; now." Freed's pleading voice was most definitely heard and the team immediately decided on escaping, to hell with the reward. The group attempted to run for the tunnel, Freed carrying Gray and Bixlow helping Natsu walk, but not getting very far.

There stood the demon, blocking their way with an evil smile stretching from ear to ear. They weren't leaving this cave until the demon was either dead or unconscious. He wouldn't let them. But the power this creature gave off, would even Gildarts be able to handle it? Laxus soon realized what they were up against, and for the first time in a fight he had no idea what to do. It was faster than his lightning, physically stronger, and it hadn't used an ounce of magic yet - or at least he didn't think it had. He felt the same impending dread from Tenrou Island when Acnologia attacked them.

As if to save the day, Gajeel came crashing through with Virgo leading the way. Apparently she was still digging tunnels and once she sensed Lucy's danger, instantly brought Gajeel for help.

"Gihi, you guys look like shit, need some hel-" Before even landing Gajeel was in the demons vice grip, "what the- what are you?!" was all he could mutter as he attempted to sledge the creature with his iron fist. Laxus inwardly groaned, their only means for help just crashed its way into the heat of the fight and right into the demon's hands. He instantly took back his previous thought of three Dragon Slayers being better than two. It made no difference.

"Gajeel!" Lilly shouted, now in his combat form and swinging his sword towards the demon. All the demon had to do was wave his hand, and Lily 'poofed' right back into chibi form, shock apparent on his face as he realized he could do nothing.

Gajeel continued to struggle with the demon, panic stricken after seeing Lily so easily dismissed - how did the demon change his partner back to his harmless form? He used the demon's moment of distraction to advantage and landed a solid hit right to its temple, managing little to no damage and only pissing it off. Virgo had made her way past the fighting pair and found Lucy - frozen in place and staring in horror at the sight before her.

"Princess.. Is there anything I can do for you?" Virgo's worried voice snapped Lucy out of her daze, she instantly grabbed the key like object Natsu handed her earlier. She hadn't even looked at it yet, maybe this key could help? After all the demon was guarding it..

"Princess.." Virgo repeated when she didn't get an answer. "Virgo, can you tell me the name of this key?!" Lucy handed the key to Virgo, who studied it. She slowly shook her head no and answered, "No Princess, I've never seen this before.. But I sense the power radiating off of it. This is not typical Celestial magic.. It's beyond our constellations Princess." She slowly traced the key that almost looked like a dagger. On the top it had a skull like emblem, making "death" the first word that came to Virgo's mind as she slowly muttered the word.

"Death?" Lucy gasped in a whispered voice. Death? Death can't be a gate.. There was no constellation representing what this key was, and Virgo just explained it was not of the spirit realm.

"Princess, this.. Key.. Is not one of ours. It calls a different kind of magic.. One beyond me. It makes me think of Gods Princess." Wait, maybe a Death God? The mural.. Lucy instantly recalled the painting, and the Shinigamis fighting demons. The old man referred to them as Death Gods, maybe that's what this key was. Maybe she could save them if she could just open the gate.. But how?

Lucy was quickly pulled from her thoughts as the sound of Laxus and Gajeel being slammed together rang through the cave, Laxus' lighting was being drawn to Gajeel as a conductor - making him almost completely unconscious. He was now lying on the floor, unable to move minus the violent electrical spasms his muscles experienced as a jolt periodically ran through his body. Laxus had a gash across his torso that had him clutching the ground in agony. One of his eyes was closed as blood poured out a gaping wound on his scalp and his body doubled over in pain after receiving a partial blow from the demon; he immediately looked to Lucy who was now sitting alone as Bixlow and Freed desperately attempted to help him.

"Princess, I will head back so you can save your magic. Attempt this new key, it may very well be your answer, I can do nothing here."

"But what if I can't call it out? Do you really think it'll answer to Death God?!" Lucy was panicking, she was afraid to be alone. Afraid of what felt like the inevitable.

"Have faith Princess, stand tall and call upon the gate, I'm sure it will answer you." And with that Virgo disappeared. Leaving Lucy to lay eyes on a now wounded Bixlow and Freed, next to Laxus who was attempting to get up; and Gajeel who was barely able to turn onto his side. Natsu was also attempting to stand and Gray was completely unconscious. The scene before her had her almost gasping for air, Laxus' eyes bore into hers in fear of what might to happen. He was starting to understand the demon's ability a little bit, he'd never come face to face with something like this and none of them were prepared.

"Run Lucy! Now!" Natsu screamed as he ran towards the demon in an attempt of distraction. Lucy watched his valiant efforts as she realized she couldn't, no she wouldn't run. She was going to stay with her friends and fight, just as they did. Lucy finally stood, looking the monster in the eye with newfound courage. He smirked and eyed her up and down, "That's a good look in your eye girl.." as he slowly sauntered towards her. Lucy took her stance, calling on all the magic she could muster. The demon slowly began to realize what she was, and what she was doing,

"A fuckin' Celestial Mage?!" he all but roared as he tossed Natsu, realizing she had the key in her hand and was ready to try and open it. The whole reason he stayed within that cave for 400 years was to protect the keys. The damn fire brat must've grabbed it off of him when he got that lucky hit in. But before the demon could reach her, she had already said her incantation. "Open.. Gate of the Death God!"

A light crashed down in between Lucy and the charging demon, stopping it in its tracks as a figure slowly formed from the light.

Standing before Lucy was a huge man with a single eye patch and a long scar running down the other side of his face. He had black spiky hair and bells at the end of it - he was wearing a sleeveless haori and donned mostly black and white. His one green eye bored into Lucy, knowing somehow she was the reason he was there.

"Who.. The fuck are you?"

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**Dun dun dun! Lucy managed to open the gate, but what kind of toll will that take on her? And who (wink wink) is this man standing before her, hero or enemy?! I'll take requests for appearances, they will be random. Sometimes short. And hopefully somewhat amusing. Reviews are appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4: Psychotic Hero

**Sooooo just to play it safe I'm gonna change the rating for this Chapter to ****M****. A little blood.. But mostly curse words.. A lot of them.. and I'm new to fanfiction and don't exactly want my account deleted so soon. Enjoy!**

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Lucy instantly felt the strain on her body. Summoning this spirit literally took everything out of her. He was so powerful, too powerful. She was almost suffocating in his presence.

"Hey chick, I asked ya a question. Who. The. Fuck. Are. You." He slowly said each word, making his deadly intentions at her lack of response very clear. It wasn't that she didn't want to answer him, it was that she couldn't. She was fighting with everything she had to stay conscious.

_"Great. Some chick with a huge rack is doubling over and I can't even figure out where I am let alone get a fuckin answer from her._ _Maybe I should lay off the reiatsu a little bit.."_

In an instant Lucy felt all the weight bearing down on her almost disappear. She was able to stand, still exhausted from the summoning, but at least she could speak.

"My name.. Is Lucy.. I-I'm a Celestial Mage.. I summoned you hear Mr. Death God sir, we need your help.." Tears slowly began to prick at her eyes and Kenpachi found himself inwardly sighing, "_fuckin' hate it when chicks cry.. What the fuck.."_

He looked at the girl, ready to ask her another question about where they were and why in the hell he'd help her when a loud cracking sound cut his thoughts short. The demon had smashed its fist right into Kenpachi's face in an attempt to throw him through the wall and knock him unconscious - hopefully sending him back to the spirit world. The demon's curse magic was at full force; but much to its horror and all the mages surprise, Kenpachi was only pushed back maybe a few feet.

"Ooooooooooooh?! You seem pretty strong. How's 'bout we have us a lil' fight, hmm?" Kenpachi easily maneuvered the demons fist from his face, with a maniacal grin he threw his own punch, sending the demon at least 30 feet through solid rock.

Lucy sweat dropped.

Laxus and Gajeel's mouths were gaping open, faces gone pale.

Lily had perched into a defensive stance while Happy decided on hiding under an unconscious Gray.

Natsu was so shocked all you could see were the whites of his bulging eyes and sweat began profusely dripping down his face and neck. Natsu didn't sweat. This was a new sensation for him.

Bixlow was cradling his babies. Half comforting them and half comforting himself while Freed thought about making runes - then decided hiding behind Lucy was probably his best bet, screw the runes.

Bixlow followed suit, hoping she was somewhat in control of her new spirit, 'cuz he was a hell of a lot scarier than that demon they were fretting over a few seconds ago.

"Ahhhhhhhhahahahahahahahaha!" Kenpachi's laughter rang through the cave, head tilted back and fists in the air.

Lucy began crying and pulling her hair. Depleted magic forgotten and all exhaustion the least of her worries; she realized she just opened a gate worse than Project Eclipse. This man wasn't just unbelievably strong, he was crazy as shit too.

The demon slowly made its way out from its newly renovated tunnel; evil glare on the Death God the Celestial bitch managed to summon. "_How is this possible, no Celestial Wizard has ever been able to open that gate," _instantly turning his gaze on the girl, "_If I kill her the gate will close on its own." _

In a matter of seconds the demon evaded Kenpachi and darted straight for Lucy, claws unleashed and prey in sight. Lucy reached for her whip but before she could even touch it, the demon was stopped in its tracks.

…

"How…?!" Lucy muttered at the sight of Kenpachi; who was now standing in front of her and easily stopping the monster's attack - again.

"Oi, shit face, you're fightin' me! The winner can fight the chick." And with another toothy grin he threw one nasty uppercut right to the monsters abdomen, making him keel over from the sheer force and unable to move from the pain. Blood violently gushing from his mouth. "_That punctured a few organs,"_ Kenpachi thought, stretching his smile even wider across his face.

The demon instantly leapt back onto the wall once regaining composure, trying to think of his next attack. This was no mage, and no Celestial Spirit. This being was just as much of a demon as he was, maybe more so. The demon finally decided he needed to muster everything he had into one shot. In one fierce roar, the entire mountain began to rumble as the demon gathered all its curse power to kill the spirit. The cave slowly started to cave in a little and the ground cracked and split open from all the demon's power.

"I am Daemon! The first of the book of Zeref! Keeper of the keys until his return! I will not be outdone by you spirit!" The demon almost doubled in size as he began laughing, his canines now protruding from his mouth and skin hardening over; taking on the form of dragon-like scales. Energy was pulsating off his body and electrifying. "What do you think now spirit?! Still feeling cocky?! Ahhhhahahahaaaaaa!" The demon lowered its head to take in the look of fear on Kenpachi's face.

But there was none.

In fact, he was attempting to clean his ear out with his pinky - seeming somewhat disinterested.

And then the demon did something he'd regret for the next few minutes of his life. In a vain attempt to attack the Spirit he swiped his hand downward, only managing to scratch the Shinigami but completely removing his eye patch.

"Well you fucked up.." Kenpachi replied as he slowly shook his head 'no' and rolled his eyes - now the fight was definitely over. _Lame. _

In a movement none of them could quite catch he quickly reappeared in front of the demon, matching its power force for force, then easily overcoming it.

"H-how?! How is this possible?! I had more power! Where did this sudden strength come from?!" The demon was sweating bullets as it was being pushed backwards and its power was being overrun with reiatsu. The thought that any creature could harvest such energy was beyond his comprehension - not since Zeref had he felt so much fear for a being.

"Eye patch limp dick. Eats my reiatsu so my fights don't end too quickly." He simply stated, throwing one final punch into the demons stomach with all the fury of his un-contained reiatsu flooding into the attack.

"The fuck demon, thought you'd be a good fight, how borin'!" Kenpachi's facial expression definitely didn't match his words; he began smiling and laughing, with a glint in his eye clearly showing his excitement - almost like a kid on Christmas morning.

Laxus, Gajeel, and Natsu had somewhat recovered from their shock, but were still watching the raw display of power before them. Laxus couldn't fight the sweat trailing down his back - here they were struggling with this demon and were on the brink of defeat; but this spirit was seemingly _bored_ with him. How is this possible? How is Lucy able to summon something so powerful? He then looked to Lucy and noticed she was struggling - she even looked a little paler.

Lucy was still standing in her pre-whip attack stance. She thought any sudden movements might direct unwanted attention to her, as if her spirit was a wild animal. She was really feeling the strain now, her legs were about to give out on her; The man was only out for a solid minute and she felt she was about to collapse. Once his eye patch was removed, she started seeing double and even swayed a little.

Somehow though, Kenpachi could feel Lucy's struggle. And for some unknown fuckin' reason he felt he had to finish the job before she fainted. What was the deal? Where was he? Who was the hot chick with the rack? And why the fuck was he fightin' her fights for her?!

With a feral growl and scowl in place, Kenpachi threw the monster on the ground, only giving it one quick look over before pulling out his chipped sword, opting to finish the job.

"Well this was borin' as shit. No point in wastin' my energy on a 'lil bitch like you, times up!" Kenpachi gave one final toothy grin before smashing his sword down, easily severing the demon in two as it screamed in protest and attempted to bargain for its life.

The cave went silent minus the blood dripping off Kenpachi's sword, that was until he decided to break it.

"Soooo. Who's next?!" Kenpachi's eyes brightened up, turning back to the mages with an expectant grin.

All the battle worn mages 'eeped' in unison as they scooted back a little.

Gray was seemingly forgotten in the corner.

He knew the rag-tag group before him weren't in any condition to put up a good fight, but the demon turned out to be lame as shit, and he was gonna at least get a couple more in since he was there! As he was about to lunge something caught his eye, something shiny protruding from the demon's carcass.

"The fuck..?" Reaching down Kenpachi removed what looked to be another key. This one though was white - minus the blood smears. He turned around and looked to the girl again. After getting past the small skirt, short top and cleavage for days; he noticed the black dagger like key with their skull emblem in the hand not occupying the whip. _Wonder if she's into that sort of thing.._

Still sensing the girls struggle he temporarily pulled his head out of the gutter and figured he'd better get an answer or two before she passed out. "Hey.. Where'd you get that?" Kenpachi asked, eyes back to the girl's key.

"Uh-ummm.. T-the d-d-demon ha-ad it. B-b-b-but I opened it.. M-Mr. Death G-God sir." Lucy barely managed to mumble. Eyes completely wide with fear – a look Kenpachi for some strange fuckin' reason didn't like. She wasn't supposed to fear him, but he couldn't figure out why.

"So you called me here, right?" Kenpachi was now standing directly in front of Lucy, glaring down in an attempt to intimidate her for answers without actually physically harming her. Something was actually restraining him from causing the chick any real damage.

"Yes.. Sir.." Lucy mumbled, slowly regaining her composure as she slowly started to realize his killer intent was now gone.

"What's yer name chick?" He asked none too politely, scowl back in place.

"L-Lucy.. Lucy Heartfilia.." she was now able to make eye contact with him, feeling a little braver since he hadn't pumbled her the same way he did the demon.

He scratched the back of his head and turned around. Swiftly swiping his sword in the air in an attempt to clear off some of the blood. "Kenpachi."

...

"What..?" Lucy actually managed to take a step forward, Bixlow and Freed grabbing her legs in an attempt to keep her somewhat distanced from the psycho with the sword. "Names Kenpachi, Zaraki Kepachi. Looks like I'm gonna be seein ya again ya?" he asked, eyeing her as she was beginning to slip out of consciousness as she nodded her head. "Well as long as it's for a good fight, I'm in." He gave her a toothy grin before slowly disappearing as Lucy lost consciousness.

The white key falling to the floor.

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**Muahahaha! I love Kenpachi! Please review! suggestions are always welcome!**


	5. Chapter 5: So Many Questions

**Yaaay! Thank you to those who reviewed, favored, and followed my story! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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When Lucy woke up she was lying on a cot at the guild. Wendy was asleep on her bedside with Happy laying on her stomach. She continued to lay in silence; thinking back on the mission and trying to recall exactly what happened. Everything was a bit of a blur.. She remembered a demon.. Or were there two demons?

The key.

She remembered now. The Death God saved them, in his own unique way.. She instinctively reached for her keys, fingering each one to make sure they were all there, sighing in relief once all were counted for. Placing her keys back on the bedside table she heard two clunks as something fell to the floor. The sound woke both Happy and Wendy up.

"LUCY!" both shouted in unison, relief plastered on their faces at their friend's recovery.

"Hey Happy, Wendy, what's with the tears?" Both were crying as the anxiety of having Lucy unconscious for so long finally washed away, making way for smiles and larger than life embraces.

The commotion in the infirmary didn't go unnoticed as the door flew open as everyone ran to Lucy's side.

"Lucy! Are you okay?! How are you feeling?! You were out for so long.." Natsu tumbled in first landing on Lucy's bed, tears in his eyes and a big smile in place just for her.

"Lucy, you are never to scare us like that again! Do you understand?" The stern voice could only belong to Erza, as she fought back tears of her own approaching Lucy's bed.

"Now come into my bosom," She demanded as she roughly pulled Lucy face first into her generous chest, in Erza's traditional odd show of motherly affection.

"Erza you're suffocating Lu-chan.." Levy chimed in, making her way into the room, relief apparent on her face.

"Lucy!"

Lucy's room was now filled with her entire team, Natsu still bouncing on her bed with Happy flying circles while Gray actually attempted to gently pull Natsu down before he smashed Lucy, or reopened his wounds. Levy was now standing between Wendy and Erza, all three with tears in their eyes as The Strauss siblings, the Raijinshuu, Gajeel and Lily, Cana, Makarov and many other miscellaneous members stumbled into her room.

Loke had just appeared, going through his own gate; not wanting to use any of Lucy's magic.

"Princess! Are you alright? Your spirits have been worried sick about you!"

"W-what's up guys? You're acting like I came back from the dead or something.." Lucy nervously laughed, wondering what all the odd tension was about.

"Lucy.." Makarov was now standing at the foot of her bed, "you were unconscious for three days. Wendy had no idea when you were going to wake up or if you were ever going to wake up. You used up all of your magic back in that cave, you're lucky to even be alive.."

As Makarov spoke silence took over Lucy's room. Looks of guilt were on her S-class team's faces as they recalled how Lucy had nearly died trying to save them all. Laxus finally walked in, his face the most distorted out of anyone's. He was the S-class mage, he was in charge, their lives were his responsibility and he let everyone down. Guilt and grief had over-taken him, and if the girl would have never regained consciousness he would never be able to forgive himself. He wasn't able to use his Dragon Force within the cave, Gajeel's presence as a conductor put everybody's life in danger - he wasn't willing to sacrifice any team mates to save himself.

Lucy smiled, "What's with all the long faces? The way I see it I was finally able to pull my own weight for once and you guys were actually able to depend on me. Words can't describe how happy I am to have been such an asset on such a dangerous mission. We're all friends, no, family.. Any one of you would have taken the same risk if you were in my position. Besides, we should have asked more questions, the mission was meant for me and I met with the employer, it was my fault." A few members smiled sadly, others were still upset over the mission; _what exactly was that demon? How was it so powerful?_

"Lucy's THE man!" Elfman shouted in an attempt to lighten the stiff mood - everyone started laughing; except for a few members from her last mission.

"Thanks Luce.. But it was everyone's fault. We should have been more prepared, looked into the situation better and realized it wasn't as simple as we originally thought. I shouldn't have wandered away from the team.. I left myself wide open to his attack.. He got me pretty good." Natsu had a strained face, recalling the events within the cave and all his internal injuries he had to have healed immediately. Natsu and Gray got the worst of it; both mage's organs were shaken through and through and a lot of internal bleeding ensued. Natsu being part Dragon definitely helped coat his organs, but even at that one more hour without any medical attention and both mages would have surely died.

"We really had no idea what we were up against; that demon didn't use magic, it was something else. It was hard to read, I thought for sure he was only using brute force but once your spirit came out and he went all out summoning his.. curse power or whatever.. I realized he'd been using it to cause internal injuries with a single hit. A sort of shock wave attack.." Laxus had a stern look on his face, a little relieved after Lucy's declaration, but still bitter at himself. "We should have gotten more information on the demon from the employer, any information would have been alright. Who would have thought a demon that powerful was just hiding in a cave in a small town like that. The whole thing just feels off."

Lucy gave Laxus a small smile, understanding that he must have been really upset with not being able to defend his team. She could see the frustration in his eyes; they took the mission too lightly. She remembered the look he gave her when she stood alone before summoning her spirit, he really did change a lot; he would make a great guild master some day.

"Lucy.. I don't mean to change the subject.. But I'm very curious about your new keys.." Loke finally spoke up once realizing the girl was fine.

"_keys?"_All attention was on Lucy, and then she remembered the clinking sound she heard earlier and looked straight to the floor. There they were; A single black key and next to it, a starch white key. As Lucy reached for her keys and picked them up, the room became silent again.

She eyed both keys, analyzing every detail and every inch. The black key was slick and cold – a metal she'd never seen before; the skull image decorated as the head sending chills down her spine as images of toothy grins and eye patches slowly resurfaced in her memory. But the white key, this one she didn't remember. Where did it come from?

It was very light, and felt as though it was made out of bone with a platinum lining. Its surface was smooth with fine detail ridging it entirely. After closer inspection Lucy noticed what appeared to be multiple swords bound together from the top narrowing down to the tips and the edge of the key. As she slowly traced each ridge she counted what seemed to be 10 swords making up the keys design. How odd.

"Lucy.." Makarov's voice snapped Lucy out of her trance as she noticed all eyes were once again on her. Some were apprehensive, some curious, others excited, and the ones that new better had fear laced in their gaze. "Laxus told me about your new found spirit.. That it was unruly and couldn't be trusted.."

"Master, that is not true!" Lucy protested, feeling defensive over her new spirit. Yeah he was a little unpredictable and yes unruly may have been a good word to describe him.. Maybe he needed a little anger management therapy.. Restraints.. Meds.. But he still came when she called, and if it weren't for him none of them would have made it back from their last mission.

"I know he came off as.. err.. a little rough around the edges.. but the fact of the matter is he saved us. All of us! None of us would be here today if Kenpachi hadn't come when I called!"

"Lucy, that key is not part of the Celestial world.. We have no knowledge of it or where it came from, how it was made or exactly what it can do. It could be dangerous.." Loke interjected, still upset with how much magic that spirit required, almost killing Lucy.

"Lucy, I won't lie when I say the thought of such a violent and aggressive spirit in your grasp doesn't have me on edge.. And Loke has an excellent point. But above all else, I trust your judgment, and if you feel the spirit can be trusted I believe in him too." Makarov finally answered as he smiled kindheartedly at the girl. She smiled back and instantly thought to summon him again, she did forget to make a contract and her code of honor as a Celestial Mage demanded that she keep up with all her contracts.

"Master, how about I summon him so everyone can meet him, I wasn't able to make a contract with him last time so I can make one now!" She all but chirped in excitement. Makarov slowly nodded his head and rubbed his chin. Loke wasn't looking too pleased, but his master knew best, and if she believed in her spirit then he would too.

"Very well Lucy, bring forth your spirit. We shall all meet him and personally thank him for saving all you brats in your moment of need; but let's wait until you're back to full health before then." Makarov had decided for the girl that today was not the day; and everyone in the room instantly become anxious to meet Lucy's newest addition.

* * *

A few days more of recovery and Lucy felt ready for her summoning. Everyone from the guild had gathered at the training grounds, overcrowding Lucy at a very close proximity. Minus three Dragon Slayers, an Ice Mage, a Runes Mage, and a Seith Mage who decided observing from a distance would be better this time around. Sure they didn't trust the spirit any further than they could throw him (clearly none of them would be able to throw the guy) but they knew he wouldn't hurt Lucy. After all, he had protected her and pretended to do it indirectly.. Maybe he wasn't all bad.. Maybe…

Lucy took her stance and braced herself, taking one glance back at her guild mates, waiting for the go ahead to open her gate. Makarov gave her an affirmative nod and she began her incantation; silently praying Kenpachi wouldn't be too upset with her calling him out when there wasn't a fight to be had. "Open, Gate of the Death God!"

Light once again shone right in front of Lucy, and everyone from the guild tensed up, bracing themselves for the mountain of a man the rest of her team had so vividly described upon their return and explanation of what happened during the mission.

But there was no mountain of a man this time. He was still tall, but much more fragile looking than what they described him to be. He had long white hair, not black; and his uniform was mostly white and quite immaculate looking. He had gentle green eyes slightly hidden under his bangs that were slightly parted to his left side. At first he seemed a little startled, and surprised at his predicament, but unease quickly faded to a warm smile as he laid eyes upon the girl.

"So you're the one Captain Zaraki spoke about, and here we all thought he'd finally lost his mind completely!" He smiled even wider, especially at the shocked expression from the girl.

"U-ummm, I'm sorry but, who are you?" She finally managed to say, confusion just as evident in her voice as it was on her stunned expression.

"Oh my how rude of me! My name is Jushiro, Jushiro Ukitake. Captain of the 13th division of the Gotei 13." He finished with a smile. "You must be Miss Lucy Heartfilia, am I correct?" He inquired, still smiling at said girl.

Lucy was stunned; this man was in every way Kenpachi's complete opposite. Her head instantly filled with a million questions when she began to feel the strain on her magic once again.

"Jushiro.. Ukitake.. Wow, I have so many questions.." She slightly mumbled towards the end of her sentence. Nothing was making sense to her, why was this man here instead of Kenpachi? Granted his presence was much more enjoyable and he didn't suck her magic out nearly as badly as Kenpachi had, but she was finding herself more and more confused.

Ukitake chuckled at the girls clear confusion, she didn't have any knowledge of her key or what it's possibilities were; and sensing her drop in reiatsu, err, magic he knew he wouldn't be able to explain everything to the girl. Kenpachi clearly didn't know anything about the key; none of the younger captains should have had any knowledge of it. Only he, Yamamoto, and Shunsui were even aware of the keys existence. It was supposed to have been hidden away, and even if it were ever found no one should have had the strength required to open it. Yet here she stood, right before him, summoning him.

"Miss Lucy, may I ask you a question?" He inquired, making firm eye contact with the blonde.

"Oh yes, yes of course! Ask anything you want! I uhh, have a few questions too.. heh heh.." She smiled a little unsure of what was going on.

"How is it that you're able to open a portal?" He was staring at the girl, he had to know, had to find out how this young lady was able to call them from their spirit world.

"Well, I'm a Celestial Mage, my magic is the ability to open portals into the spirit realm, and call forth spirits for battle." She gave him a curious look, he didn't know she was a Celestial Mage? Had he never been summoned before? "I'm also a little curious sir.. How is it that you came through instead of Kenpachi? Are you his split personality or something?" She had to ask, she was still way too confused.

"Hmmm, well that's a good question. Why did you open the gate just now?" He had an idea why he was there instead of Kenpachi, but he needed more details to know for sure.

"Oh, well I just wanted to make a contract and ask a few questions I guess.." Lucy was now tapping her chin, looking up and a little deep in thought.

Yes, he knew why he was there instead of Kenpachi. "Well Miss Lucy, it would appear that the gate opens to the one who suits your needs the most appropriately for the given situation. It called Kenpachi for battle, or most likely carnage if he was summoned, and it called me to give you information – the reason you opened the portal."

That made sense. In a way.

"So, how many are there? I mean, you said you were a Captain of the 13th division, and Kenpachi is also a Captain?"

"Well there's 13 Captains and Lieutenants, and there are those in their respective seats.. a few thousand; and yes, he's the Captain of the 11th division; basically our strongest division within the Gotei 13. I'm surprised more damage wasn't done if he was called for battle." Ukitake chirped in a much too friendly a voice than what his statement had meant.

Everybody sweat dropped.

In a fit of nervousness she started fingering her keys, Ukitake noticed the black key in her hand and the skull symbol clearly representing Soul Society. This was the key; the one that was forged in their realm. What caught him by surprise was the key in her other hand. She had both keys. This could be bad.

"Lucy.. Where did you find the Arrancar key?" Smile gone and stern look in place, Ukitake didn't realize how serious the situation was becoming. True the keys didn't do what their original purpose was intended for, but clearly the souls used to forge both keys created a rift, or link to their world. And this girl was able to open the door that was supposed to divide them. This would be interesting.

Lucy was now looking at her white key, "_Arrancar key..?"_ So that was its name. Apparently Kenpachi pulled the key from the demon he fought; the demon was holding both keys, but what for?

Before Lucy could ask about her white key, she felt her heart skip a beat, and her legs were becoming shaky. Her spirit had been out for too long, it was time to close the portal or else she'd end up unconscious again.

In the same way Kenpachi was in tune with the girl, Ukitake was now as well. He felt her struggle and knew he needed to go back.

"Well it would appear our time has come to a close my dear Lucy Heartfilia." He gave her another warm smile.

"B-but I have so many questions! Wait! What days can I call you guys?! I need to make a contract, my honor as a Celestial Mage depends on it!" She was now sitting on the ground, Levy and Erza by her side, "Lucy are you okay?!" They both began to ask - worry evident in their voices.

"My dear, that key will call forth whomever it is that you require at the given moment, a contract will not be necessary. But I must warn you Lucy, opening this gate will take a lot out of you, we've only been chatting for less than 10 minutes and you're already straining; if I were to unsheathe my Zanpakuto you would surely be unconscious by now." He finished with a sad smile.

Lucy nodded in understanding. She could feel it, and when Kenpachi was fighting she only had the guy out for two minutes and was unconscious for three days. She needed to get stronger; she wanted to be able to use these keys without putting her life in danger.

"I understand, I'll be sure to get stronger! I want to be a mage the Gotei 13 can fight together with!" She gave Ukitake her determined look, smile in place telling him she was definitely going to do it.

_"What an interesting girl.. This should be funny to watch all the younger Shinigami being called to battle. She'll be the 11__th__ division's new best friend."_

"I believe that you will Lucy, I have faith in you and I look forward to meeting with you again. There's much to discuss and not enough time at the moment." He began to turn until he remembered something. "Oh, and about that Arrancar key.." He was now looking at Lucy from over his shoulder, "If you thought Kenpachi was scary, you don't want to know what's behind that gate." He gave her one last smile and disappeared; back to his realm.

Lucy began sweating a little again.. making a mental note, "_only use white key in DIRE emergency_."

She began to recall the mural she saw in the old man's mansion in the country of Seven. The soul reapers fighting the demons, and the white creatures, Arrancar she was assuming, coming from the shadows below. But what were they fighting? The demons? Or the Shinigami? Maybe both.. While fully contemplating the entire situation and taking everything in, she was completely shutting out everyone's shouts and questions from behind.

.

.

She needed to get stronger.

* * *

_"So is it true, Ukitake. Someone is actually able to open the portal between worlds?"_

_"Yes sir, her name is Lucy Heartfilia, a Celestial Mage."_

_"We must keep a close eye on this situation, that key must not be brought back to this realm. We'll play along with the girl for now."_

_"Yes sir, she seems very nice. I think our ranks are going to have fun with this"_

_"And you said she has the Arrancar key?"_

_"Yes, she does."_

_"God help her."_

* * *

**Lucy needs to get to work if she wants to use these keys! And will she ever dare use the white key?! muahahahaha!**

**There was a question about characters making appearances, and yes, you will seldom see the same Bleach character twice. ****seldom****, I play favorites.. So you will be seeing those ones more than once!**

**I'll take requests too, if somebody wants to see a favorite Bleach character in action, I'll definitely try to add it to the list!**


	6. Chapter 6: SS-Class

**Yaaaaay! Thank you everyone for favoring/following/reviewing my story! As you all know writing stories is rather time consuming, and if my story wasn't liked I would have just given up on it. It is just for fun, it's not meant to be in depth or drama filled, just some light-hearted humor with a little Bleach ass-kicking thrown in the mix.**

**This is my longest chapter yet! Lots of stuff happening! Enjoy!**

* * *

A day had already passed since Lucy summoned her spirit, and she needed to get to work. She was determined to be able to wield these keys; though she was a little scared of them. Her talk with Ukitake answered a few questions, but confused her more than anything. All she really understood was that she needed a lot more magic, or at least endurance, to summon and that she'd probably be getting a different person every time. Kenpachi and Ukitaki's personalities were like night and day, so she could only imagine the variety of people that would be passing through her gate.

"Ready whenever you are Lucy." Capricorn was standing next to Lucy, patiently waiting for his master to begin her training. He knew of the keys she now had, though Loke wasn't pleased with the situation the key did save her life when they couldn't, so he was grateful.

"Thanks Capricorn, I'm ready now." Lucy was sitting in a clearing outside Magnolia, if she wanted to get any training done it would have to be far away from the guild. She was the star of the guild at the moment and couldn't take a step without somebody asking her a million questions; usually along the lines of, "Can you call out a spirit so I can fight it!" or "Will your spirit go on a date with me?" .. her guild was hopeless..

She began to clear her mind; "Remember Lucy, become one with nature.. Yes that's it."

She was sitting with her legs crossed, completely lost in a meditative state, only listening to Capricorns voice. She was pushing all of her magic out; she knew her endurance needed a lot of work. Having her second origin was definitely helping; she was already holding onto her magical sphere three times longer than before the magic games.

"That is very impressive Lucy. Having called out those spirits has also helped your endurance."

She finally let go of her magic sphere; she didn't want to lose consciousness. "What do you mean? Calling out those spirits has actually increased my magical power?"

"Yes and no; not the power so much as the amount, but you can sustain your magic for a little longer. Think of when you exercise, you break your muscles down so when they rebuild themselves they become stronger, your magic is rebuilding itself – making it stronger so it can last longer."

"Well then should I open the gate a few more times instead then?" She liked the idea of getting stronger simply by summoning a spirit, plus she'd get to meet more!

"No Lucy, we will focus strictly on endurance training for now. Don't forget what your friend Ukitake told you; only open those gates if you must."

Lucy pouted but conceded, she really should only use the key if the situation called for it.

"Alright then, let's get back to work! I wanna be able to hold that gate open!" She fisted in the air in determination. _"Layla would be so proud.."_ Was all Capricorn could think as he watched his masters enthusiasm. She had really improved, between the magic games, the Eclipse project, and now summoning spirits from another world had sky-rocketed her magical ability. _"I bet she can use Urano Metria without Gemini and have plenty magic left to spare." _He couldn't help the feeling of pride as she encased herself in another sphere, pushing her magic out. Before she was only able to do it once; she was already on her third sphere for the day.

* * *

Lucy had just finished a long bath after a full day with Capricorn. She was able to hold five spheres today, and the first one she held at maximum capacity for a full 30 minutes; the equivalent of having 5 Zodiac gates open simultaneously for 10 minutes, maybe even more for less time.

"Lucy there you are! We've been looking all over for you!" Gray came running up the street.

"Oh hey Gray! I was training with Capricorn outside Magnolia; I wanna be able to actually use my keys when the time comes." She was headed towards the guild and was expecting to be a little harassed again about her spirits, but she hadn't even gotten there yet and already felt like going back home.

"The master was looking for you, guess he has another mission and wants you there."

…

"Ehhh?! M-m-meeee?! Why me?! Surely he'd rather have Erza or Laxus.. Or anyone else.." She was shocked; Makarov had never asked her to personally do a mission unless she was requested.

"Well looks like master is curious about your spirits and wants you to tag along on another S-class mission, just in case back-up is needed." He shrugged like the answer was the most obvious thing in the world.

…

"Me, back up? At an S-class mission? Has the master completely lost his mind?" Yeah she had an impressive key, or keys, but she was still Lucy, her magic was still only slightly above average.. Or maybe more now..

"Luce.. You're not giving yourself enough credit.. Come on, everyone's waiting at the guild!"

"Oh alright, but first Gray you should really put some clothes on, the towns people are staring."

"Lucy my clothes are- HOLY SHIT!"

* * *

"Lucy my child come here, I have a few missions and I'd like you to be present for the briefing." Makarov was standing at the bar, and for the first time the guild was actually rather quiet. This must have been a some-what serious matter. Lucy spotted Natsu, Happy, Wendy, and Erza at a table and slowly walked to join her team with Gray behind her; now curious about the mission as well.

"It appears that the demon Lucy killed in that cave was not only from the book of Zeref; but he was Daemon, the first of demons in the book of Zeref. Meaning there are others; many others, and some comparable to Acnologia."

Silence ensued in the guild, and a few audible gulps were heard as the tension began rising.

"What I'm trying to say my children is that we have our work cut out for us, Daemon's death has opened a door to demons lashing out, villages are being plagued and lives have been lost."

Lucy felt her stomach drop, and tears began to prick at her eyes, "_this is all my fault.."_

"What are you saying old man?! That this is all somehow Lucy's fault?!" Natsu was now on fire, what was the point of this? Lucy saved their lives; this was nowhere near her fault!

"Sit down Natsu I haven't finished yet!" Makarov grew in size, almost touching the ceiling. Natsu huffed as he planted back down next to Lucy, Happy crawling into her lap as a form of comfort.

"I did not say this was Lucy's fault, because it is not. Yes, the demons are on the move since Daemon's death but that is out of anyone's control. This would have happened sooner or later, they've been hiding for years waiting for a chance to strike and since Daemon's identity was made public they've finally come out of hiding. All that means to us is that now we can find them, hunt them down, and take them all out!"

Cheers were heard throughout the hall, everybody was pumped. If they thought winning the Grand Magic Games kept them busy, they were in for a whole lot more; and some were itching to fight.

"Some are stronger than others, so they've been divided into categories. The last one should have been a 10 year mission, that was a huge mistake on my part and I apologize for that. But all the rest are divided into 100 years, 10 years, SS-class, and S-class. Gildarts is already on the move to the 100 year, but I have one 10 year, 3 SS-classes, and 3 S-classes."

"But master.. Only Laxus, Erza, and Mira are S-class.." Levy wasn't sure how in the world Fairy Tail was supposed to complete so many high ranking jobs with their current members.

"That's absolutely right Levy, so we had to reach out and find mages suitable to handle all these jobs.. Ah! Here they are now!"

On cue, both guild hall doors flew open

.

.

"Everyone can stay calm now! The cavalry has arrived!"

10 mages stood at the entrance, and to say the sight was shocking was an understatement.

Sting and Rogue were the first to walk in, Fro and Lector flying ahead examining the guild. Rufus and Ogra were close behind with Lyon, Jura, and Chelia coming in after.

"This is quite the guild.. Erza!" Milliana shouted running ahead, Kagura close behind – eager to speak with Erza as well.

"WIIIIIIIILD!" Bacchus came stumbling in, looking for Cana wanting to start up another drinking match.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail! And thank you again for coming!" Makarov was smiling and holding his arms out in a grand gesture, glad to see that his requests for high class mages were answered, even Sabertooth's guild master was here. "Master.. Where's Blue Pegasus?" Mira was curious as to why they wouldn't help Fairy Tail in their missions; they were by far the closest guild to Fairy Tail. "Oh, it appears they're dealing with S-Class missions of their own. Don't worry Mira, they can handle it!" Mira gave a firm nod but couldn't help the unease she felt; Blue Pegasus was strong but did they know what they were dealing with?

"Juvia, has Gray been treating you well, if not you can always come to me." Lyon was now kissing Juvia's hand as she stared longingly at Gray, who blanched at the sight and took the opportunity to pick a fight with Lyon.

"Wendy! We've come to play!" Chelia all but bounced over to Wendy, both girls embracing as though it had been years since they'd seen each other. "_so cute.."_ Carla and Happy thought in unison, jumping in and forming a group hug.

"Natsu! Looks like we're all teaming up this time around! But I still want my rematch!" Sting was standing directly in front of Natsu and Lucy, grin in place and a sparkle in his eye, he admired Natsu way more than he should have..

"Same to you Gajeel, I was naïve in the games, but this time will be different." Rogue held the same look, they really were the dragon twins of Sabertooth.. And giving way too much admiration to the two most rambunctious mages in Fair Tail..

"Go Sting! You can do it! You're the best!" "Fro thinks so too!"

Lucy sweat dropped.. This was going to be a long night..

"I hear you single-handedly took out a 10 year demon. That's quite impressive." Jura was now standing in front of Lucy next to Sting; and again, all attention was back on Lucy.

"U-uhh.. well.." Lucy began scratching the back of her hand, becoming extremely nervous now that everyone was just staring.

"That's right, saved my life too, so ya better not piss her off or she might send one of those spirits after ya, gihi." Gajeel had an arm swung around Lucy's shoulders, trying to ease her uncomfortable situation. Levy and Lily both smiling, "_Gajeel's such a softy.."_

"Gajeel's savior.. That is quite impressive.. I'll have to challenge you once I finally defeat Gajeel." Rogue was now eyeing Lucy up and down, as if coming up with a battle strategy.

"Man I knew you were tough and could take a beating, but that _is_ impressive!" Sting was now way too close to Lucy's face for her liking – clearly the guy didn't understand personal space. _"He's more like Natsu than I realized.."_

Natsu stood as he pushed Sting's face away from Lucy's, and standing in front of her protectively. "You're crowding my partner! Back off!"

Sting was surprised at first, and then completely read into the situation way more than necessary.

"She your woman Salamander?" He was eyeing Natsu, gauging his reaction.

"My woman? Yeah I guess, well she's my best friend and partner, is that what you're asking?"

Everybody sweat dropped. Lucy was flushing from head to toe and felt the need to speak up.

"No no no, we're not.. together.. in that way. We're just.. Partners! Friends."

"With benefits!" Came a shout in the background.

"WHO SAID THAT?!" Lucy was now looking out into the crowd of mages, a look promising death.

"Well he did grope you Lucy.." Carla was now standing next to the table, rubbing her chin and not directly making eye contact, a devious smirk in place.

"Th-th-that was an accident! Besides, Cana groped me too! It's pretty much the same thing!"

Aaaaaand in flew Cana. Again, groping Lucy like nobody's business. Noses began bleeding and the weak of heart fainted. "WIIIIIIIIIIIILD!" _stupid Bacchus.. _"Don't leave me out!" _stupid Bixlow.._

"Stop that Cana!" Natsu was now holding Lucy protectively; ready to fight the drunken girl off if needed.

Sting watched the whole scene, still analyzing way more than necessary. He smirked and thought of a good way to get one up on the Salamander. Once Lucy had pushed herself away from Natsu, Sting picked her up bridal style and looked her in the eye.

"Well! If you 'aint Salamanders woman then that means you can be mine!"

…

Between the laughing, cat calls, Mira gushing about blonde babies, and guild damages following Sting's outburst and Natsu's reaction; Lucy's horrified expression remained unchanged most of the night. "_Why me.."_

* * *

The next morning was off to a slow start.. As she left her house she did her normal key check, just to make sure they were all with her before heading out. She found herself examining her black key again, it was so interesting, such a mystery.. Speaking of mysteries.. She began fiddling with the white key, slowly unhooking it from her key ring. She was now eye level with the key, admiring it's craftsmanship "_I'm almost positive this thing is made out of bone.. But it's different at the same time.. So odd.."_

"Lucy!" Levy came running up, startling Lucy – she threw her key in her left jean pocket to avoid any questions Levy might bring up about the key, she wasn't in the mood for being asked things she didn't have the answers to, especially when they were her keys.

"Hey Levy! Ready for the day?!" Lucy put on her happy-go-lucky smile and together both girls headed to the guild.

"Lucy hopefully we can go on a mission together!" Levy was practically bouncing, the girls had never done a mission together and Lucy being her best girlfriend, she wanted to at least do one. Plus she was hoping to see her key in action.

Once both girls reached the guild, the mood was definitely screaming hangover and irritation. With all the fights, teasing, jabbing, and drinking everybody had a hard time getting up and going. Once everyone had arrived at the guild Makarov was standing at the bar again, posters in hand ready to hand out the missions. He began clearing his throat to gather everyone's attention.

"Children, guests, now it's time to get down to business. I have 3 S-class missions, 3 SS-classes and one 10 year. I need 7 teams; each team has to have at least one S-class mage, I'd like the SS-class missions to have either two S-class mages or at least a group of 3-5 mages with one S-class. Typically I'd feel more comfortable having a Wizard Saint attending the 10 year mission, but I'd actually like to give the opportunity to Laxus if you're okay with that Jura."

Jura nodded in agreement. He know Laxus was stronger than he was, he proved that at the games; he would without a doubt become the next Wizard Saint.

"Good, that being said I'm going to separate team leaders: Laxus, Erza, Mira, Jura, Sting, Kagura, and Bacchus – choose your teams. Like I said, if you want the SS-class missions, you should either have one other S class mage or a few others with you." Makarov sat down and crossed his arms, leaving the rest for his children to work out.

"Oooooooh Lucyyy~ I pick you on my teaaaaaaam" Sting came practically skipping over to Lucy, getting a kick out of Natsu's reaction, "Not gonna happen Saber! She's with me!" Natsu growled, annoyed that Sting thought he could come to their guild for one day and take his team mate.

"Lucy you're so popular.." Happy was now standing on her shoulder, just barely able to fly away before Lucy could get a good hit in. This was getting ridiculous, obviously Sting was just trying to get under Natsu's skin and get a reaction, which Natsu delivered every time.. _"He really is an idiot.."_

"Don't joke around; Lucy is obviously going to be on my team." Erza gave her famous 'if looks could kill she'd be a murderer' glare to everyone in the crowd and it was decided in an instant. Lucy was on Erza's team, with Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, and Levy. Laxus' team consisted of the Raijinshuu, Mira had her brother and sister; Sting had Rogue, Ogra, and Rufus; Kagura had Milianna, Jura had Lyon, Chelia, Wendy, and somehow Juvia; and Bacchus paired with Cana and Macao.

"So, have you all decided on your teams?" Makarov stood, approving of the team choices.

"Alright then, Erza, Jura, and Sting, your teams will be taking the SS-Class requests. Kagura, Bacchus, and Mira, you'll handle the S-Classes. Any questions?"

There was only silence followed by looks of determination.

"Then go my children! Get out there and show them what Fairy Tail, Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, and Mermaid Heel can do!"

"YEAAAAAAH!"

* * *

"So Erza, which mission did you pick?" Lucy was sitting at the station with Erza, Gajeel, Levy and Lily, waiting for Natsu and Gray. "Actually Lucy, master gave us the mission that was borderline SS-Class and 10 year."

"WHAAAAT?! Why would he do that?!" Lucy paled, rethinking her offer to join Stings group.

"Lucy what are you so worried about? Gajeel was former S-class at Phantom Lord, Levy, Natsu, and Gray are all S-class candidates and Lily can hold his own in battle; besides with your new keys I'd dare say you're top contender to be the next S-Class mage. Have more faith in yourself Lucy, and you can always have faith in your teammates." Lucy suddenly felt guilty doubting her team's ability for even a minute, Erza was right, they could do it. Heck, they could probably take on the 10 year mission if they were asked.

"You're right Erza, forgive me, I guess I should work on my confidence alongside my magic." She laughed a little in embarrassment as Erza smiled. Then slammed Lucy's face into her chest for comfort, well Erza comfort..

"What was that?! You wanna go Dragon Breath?!"

"Bring it Ice Cube! I'm ready!"

Fire and ice began forming, and then it suddenly disappeared, as Erza was now dragging an unconscious Gray and Natsu on top of her luggage as Happy jumped onto Lucy's shoulder.

"Gihi, idiots.." Gajeel, Lucy, Lily and Levy following closely behind as they set out on their mission. Apparently the monster they were dealing with was attacking a town in Gallowsville right next to the sea.

* * *

6 hours later the team arrived in Gallowstown; and the town was a mess. Fishing boats were thrown into ports, fishing nets ripped and tossed all along the coast, and the towns people looked to be hiding from the sea. "_Must be a sea demon.."_ Lucy was trying to estimate the damage, not even Natsu had ever managed to do this on a good day. The team made its way to the town hall; people who were previously living next to the coast had now taken residence in their make-shift shelter. Despair hung so heavily in the air Erza probably could have cut it with one of her blades.

"A-are you guys mages?" a little old man approached the team, he had a missing eye along with some missing teeth, and hands scarred and calloused, with darkly tanned skin. He looked as though he'd worked on a boat his entire life.

"Yes, we're from Fairy Tail, we came about the request." Erza spoke with confidence and authority, some of the towns people perked up with hope as others felt it was pointless.

"If you wanna live I suggest leaving. That demon's killed more people than we can count; we need an army here, not mages." A man who looked to be in his 40's was glaring at the group.

"No! No! Please! Don't listen to him! Please! I'll pay whatever you want just.. Just please! Kill that monster, I'm begging you.." The mayor was now approaching the group, tears in her eyes. She looked to be in her 30's, petite and pretty, she definitely didn't look like a mayor.

"We'll do everything we can, just tell us where we can find it." Erza replied, putting her hand on the woman's shoulder to assure her everything would be alright.

"Oh thank you! Thank you! This means so much to us!" She began crying again, smile in place, she fell to her knees and was hugging Erza around the waist.

"He's everywhere. None of us know what he looks like, anyone who's seen him is dead. He likes the port as I'm sure you've noticed. Prolly in the water." A boy that looked to be about 15 stood and answered. "Please.. You have to kill him.. My family.. Our life is fishing, without the sea we're as good as dead anyways.." The boy was fighting back tears of his own.

"My husband! Please, you have to find my husband! I haven't seen him in 2 days! Please find my husband!" One lady became hysterical, grabbing onto Levy's arm as she began bawling.

"M-mine too! Please! Find my husband as well!"

"My son! I haven't seen my son since the tsunami hit!"

"My daughter, she's missing as well! Please!"

In a matter of minutes a mob had formed, the team had to rush out of the hall, the damage on the town had taken its toll on the survivors; it was an all-out war zone with more casualties than any one of them wanted to see. They headed out on the only lead they got, and from what all the damage was saying they needed to go to the water – surely the demon would then come to them.

It didn't take long before Erza noticed they were not alone. A cold chill ran through the air and the water levels began rising.

"I sense strong magic coming from you lot. I won't be taking this battle lightly."

The whole team instantly spread out, Erza requipped to her Sea Empress Armor, ready for a battle at sea. Natsu and Gray flanking either side as Gajeel stood protectively in front of Levy. Lily and Happy next to Lucy as she reached for her keys; this caught the demons eye.

"So you're the one with the key.." And in an instant Lucy found herself suspended in air above the water by a water-tentacle-like-thing. The demon slowly emerged, allowing the water to push him up to be eye level with Lucy. The man had half fish scales half skin, and what looked to be a webbed dorsal fin running down his back. He had a sabre in place similar to Freed's but more.. fish-like. A sword fish? "I shall avenge Daemon by taking your life, but first." He grabbed Lucy's keys – holding the Black Death God key out in front of her. "That you were able to open this is indeed surprising, and Zeref may be angry at me for ending your life, but I can't just ignore Daemon's death, good by-" In came Erza with her Water Slash attack, effectively distracting the demon as he dropped Lucy into the water.

"LUCY!" Natsu dived in after her, she didn't have her keys anymore, she'd be killed.

Natsu managed to pull Lucy out of the water as Erza landed yet another hit and Gray instantly thought to protect his friends, "Ice make: Shield!" A large ice shield formed in front of Natsu and Lucy, separating them from the demon. "Iron Dragon Lance!" Gajeel landed a solid hit on the fish demon, bouncing him right into Erza's range for another Water Slash attack.

"Lucy! Are you alright?" Levy was running to Lucy's side, trying to assess for any damages.

"Yeah I'm fine Levy, but my keys.." Lucy now had tears pricking at her eyes. The demon took her keys; she had to get them back.

"Don't worry Luce! We'll get your keys back!" Natsu was now standing, getting ready to charge into battle. "Happy! I need a lift buddy!" Natsu was now pointing at the water demon still propelled in the air, using his water as a pedestal. "Aye sir!" Happy was now carrying Natsu in the air, straight towards the enemy. "Hey Happy! How does fried fish sound for dinner?!" Natsu's hands were now covered in flames, "Yummy yummy fish!" Happy was now flying faster, the quicker Natsu fried the demon the quicker they'd get to eat.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Natsu landed an explosive hit, while Gajeel landed yet another Iron Lance, Gray smashing his Ice Hammer, and Erza finishing it off with one last Water Slash. The demon fell into the water, seemingly defeated.

"Wow guys.. Way to go!" Levy and Lucy were looking on in awe. They finished the demon so fast! Was this really SS-Class-borderline-10-year material? Maybe their team was just that strong.

"How lame! The demon was no fun! Bring out a stronger one!" Natsu was stomping on the ground, shooting out flames and destroying a fisherman's boat that was beached on the port.

"For once I actually have to agree with Fire Idiot, that was simple.." Gray was scratching his head, shrugging, and making his was over to Lucy and Levy, just to make sure Lucy wasn't injured.

Erza and Gajeel were still staring at the water. Something wasn't right.

"A Knight, Ice mage, Fire Dragon, Iron Dragon, Celestial Mage, and two cats.. I see now. I've also got a good gauge on your abilities and magical power. Sorry but play times over, I've already grown tired of this game."

The demon again resurfaced. Barely even a scratch on him.

"I go by Xiphias Gladius, I am the sword of the sea." As if to emphasize his point he drew his sabre, which began glowing. "I am the sea; to think that water armor or ice would do me any damage is foolish. And fire? Please, don't make me laugh!"

"Well then, looks like I'll have to try out some different armor." Erza was now re-quipping into her Heaven's Wheel Armor. "And looks like I'll have to step up to the plate this time around, seeing as Salamander and Ice boy are useless, gihi" Gajeel was now standing next to Erza, both arms in Lance mode.

Both attacked, Erza releasing a fury of swords as Gajeel stretched his arms in the demons direction. The demon casually stepped to the side, avoiding Gajeel's Lances and effectively defending all of Erza's blades, ricocheting them back to Gajeel.

"W-what?! Gajeel! You! How did you do that?!" Erza was now furious; he single-handedly blocked all her blades and even shot the attack back onto her teammate.

"Sigh.. Must I repeat myself? I am Gladius – my very name is sword. I _am_ the sword of the sea young lady; so long as I have the sea feeding me energy your attacks are pointless." In a flash the demon was now in front of Erza, "You are strong; in fact, if this battle were to have taken place on land I'm sure you would have defeated me. It was your mistake coming into my playground." The demon threw a violent slash at Erza, which she was able to defend the last second, jumping back.

"You.." Erza was angry, this demon was truly on another level, but what was worse was how he had hurt her friends. Unacceptable.

"Yes, I'll save you for last since you seem to be the most interesting. First things first." Water in the form of an octopus tentacle grabbed Lucy by the ankle again and dragged her back to sea. "I will destroy Daemon's killer, justice must be served. But do not worry, I will give you a peaceful death, I'll simply drown you. Am I not kind?" As he finished his sentence Lucy felt herself under water, unable to move. The muffled sound of her teammates attempting to jump in the water and fight off the demon to save her barely audible as she went deeper and deeper. She reached for her whip, trying to attack the tentacle which proved pointless under water. She continued to struggle against the force pushing her down, but it was doing absolutely nothing. She could still hear the sounds of battle as it slowly started to disappear the deeper she was plunged. And the sun started to become farther and farther away, she had lost all hope. "_This is it.. I'm going to die.." _And in her moment of realization all she could do was curl into a ball as the water attempted to fill her lungs.

And then she felt it. Something jabbing her leg.

"_This is.._"

* * *

"LUCY!" Natsu and Gray were attempting to jump into the water; every time Gray would freeze it the monster would just defrost it. Gajeel managed to shoot a Lance under water, but only to be propelled backwards by water tentacles. Both Dragon Slayer shooting Dragon Roars and some of their best attacks, but Natsu's frantic state of mind left his defenses lacking and made a unison raid impossible. He attempted a lightning flame attack, but was stopped by Gajeel, "You idiot! you'll electrocute Lucy!" taking the hit himself using his lance as a lightning rod. S_hit.. _Levy was desperately trying to write 'oxygen' to send to Lucy, but was shot back as well from the Dragon Slayer's explosive attacks. Erza was now shooting hundreds of blades at Gladius, tears in her eyes at the demons nerve to hurt her friends. She'd make him pay. Lucy cannot die here!

.

.

And then the water exploded.

.

.

The demon had completely lost control of the sea; a look of fear crossed his face as he laid eyes on his newest opponent.

Lucy was now floating high up in the air, not in the water; which was now suspended around her. She looked at her friends shocked expressions, mixed with a little relief at seeing their friend not drowning any longer.

"Normally, I ask questions first and fight after, but I will make an exception this time. I can feel the urgency in this situation, and am being propelled to fight - and apparently I am here to protect you."

Lucy was suddenly back to her feet on land too fast for her to register, Levy standing next to her; just as shocked as everyone else.

"Do not worry; I plan on finishing this as quickly as possible." The demon flinched at the spirits words; he knew they were not an empty threat.

After sharing brief glances with her comrades, Lucy finally looked to her spirit and savior, as bright green eyes intently stared back at her; promising a swift battle.

* * *

**In her moment of desperation, Lucy had to use the key she forgot was in her pocket! But who is this spirit so nonchalantly promising swift victory?! XD**


	7. Chapter 7: Espada's Arrival

**Oh my.. Thank you for all the positive reviews! And Follows! And Favoring! And just being the awesome readers that you are! Seeing people getting into it pumps me up to keep writing more chapters! **

**So Lucy was forced to use her Arrancar key moments before drowning. Time for some Espada-ass-kicking!**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

Lucy was stunned. This was an Arrancar? It was dark and powerful; confident and proud.. _Amazing._

Lucy took in every detail: green eyes were slightly hidden under blonde hair and blonde eyelashes. Dark tanned skin bringing out her lighter features. She wore a white jacket, zipped all the way to her face, covering to just below her eyes and just the top of her generous bust; and was that a hole in her abdomen? Her sleeves and pant legs were long, and on her back sat a mid-length, but wide sword sheath.

"You are not human, Arrancar, nor Shinigami. I'm assuming I'm not in my world as none of this is familiar to me. I am here to protect that girl over there, I do not know why but I can no longer allow you to harm her." The Arrancar was casting a deadly gaze at the creature hovering above the sea. _"So he is a sea monster of sorts."_

"I do not know who you are woman, but it doesn't matter. You are standing before the Great Sea Demon, Xiphias Gladius! The sea is my home; I am one with the sword and the ocean!" He spread his arms, encasing the sea in a wide sweeping gesture, telling her it was all under his control.

"Xiphias Gladius is it?" She was taking note of his sabre and fish like features.

"If I'm correct your name means Sword Fish, does it not?" She had now uncrossed her arms, still eyeing the demon – almost like a predator.

"How unfortunate for you," she slowly began unzipping her jacket; exposing her mask covering her entire lower jaw, stretching down her neck and chest and showing a number "3" tattoo on her right breast. In one swift motion barely visible to the naked eye, she had unsheathed her sword, showing its hollow form; and holding it point down in front of her.

"**_Sharks eat fish_****.**"

The demon flinched. Taken aback by her appearance; and even more frightened when the sea wouldn't answer his call to attack, "_Is the sea.. Rejecting me? No.. it's only obeying her now."_

"**Destroy – Tiburon." **All the water the demon previously had control over was now flaring out around the spirit, making almost a heart shaped form; and then it crashed in around her. A few seconds later it slowly began to split again, showing the Arrancar's new battle form.

Her jacket, mask, and pants were gone; instead bone remnants formed new shoulder blades. Her cleavage was barely contained by the bone that continued down her abdomen and finally flared out into what looked like a sort of skirt. The bottom half of her legs were now covered and her right arm was a huge lance. She was powerful. She was terrifying. She was beautiful.

Lucy instantly felt the impact. It was the same as when Kenpachi removed his eye-patch, she was struggling. _"Damn it.. I need to hold on.."_

The Arrancar turned to the girl, instantly deducing that her reiatsu was somehow directly effecting the girl's own abilities; she knew she was a powerful Espada – staying in her released form could really harm the girl; she needed to end this quickly.

"I promised the girl to make this quick, shall we begin?" And before the demon could even form a thought, she was behind him. "**La Gota."**

The demon was shot 500 feet straight into a nearby fishing warehouse; she managed 3 more shots – destroying the warehouse, neighboring houses, and then the entire neighborhood.

Erza stood. Stunned. Mouth slightly ajar and eyes bulging. "_T-this is Lucy's key?!"_

The rest either gasped or stood stunned, "_thank god she's on our side.._" everyone thought as they sweat dropped.

Gray was seeing one of her spirits for the second time, but the first time in battle. He instantly got the same idea Freed did, and ran behind Lucy.

"Come out of there. I don't have time to waste." She was still floating in the air, patience running thin as the demon was most likely buying time in the rubble.

"Heh.. Very impressive s_hark_, but if that's the best you can do then-"

"**Gran Rey Cero**." A Blast of light and sheer force made a direct hit on the demon. Completely encasing him and destroying everything on the horizon. This attack was a mini packed Etherion. _Holy shit_.

Lucy collapsed; this was much worse than the first time, when Kenpachi arrived he hadn't used any special attacks, just brawn. But this power she was using? Lucy could barely breathe, it was becoming too much for her to bear. "_Thank god I trained with Capricorn; I should be able to hold out for at least a few more minutes."_

"Luce! You alright?! Natsu was now by Lucy's side, snapping Levy and Gray out of their stare stupor to notice their friend now on the floor. "Oh my goodness Lucy are you okay?!" Levy was now worried; she forgot how much of a toll these beings took on her friend. The Arrancar was now looking to Lucy, slightly anxious at the girl's predicament.

"Don't worry guys, I'm fine, I can handle this!" She gave her spirit a look of determination, urging her to continue the fight. "_So her name is Lucy is it," _she had questions, lots of questions; she was inherently protective, always guarding the females in Hueco Mundo, but she had no ties to this girl. _So why was she feeling so protective? Why was something nagging at her subconscious to keep the girl as far away from harm as possible?_ Her questions would have to wait though as she felt the demon approach. He wasn't much of a threat anymore.

"Y-y-you! W-w-w-who do you th-think y-y-you are?!" He barely managed a coherent sentence as he swayed. He looked like every train in Magnolia station ran him over, than went in reverse a few times just to make sure he looked like road kill. His sword was now snapped in half, his fin was completely frayed and half his teeth were missing. His clothes were completely singed off, thank God for all those scales covering all the right places.. All you needed was a skewer and some veggies and he was ready for a fish fry. Happy's mouth slowly began watering.

"I am Tier Harribel, Tres Espada; and your worst nightmare fish." She slowly began to advance on him as he 'eeped' and attempted to run. She completely overpowered him.

"I'm not in the mood for games, do not run. I will end this quickly; am I not kind?" She was mocking him now; she was aware of his last comment to the girl – must have something to do with their newfound connection.

"W-wait! Wait! Why are you fighting for the humans?! They are weak! You should fight with us! For Zeref! He can give you power beyond your wildest imagination!" The demon was on his knees as Harribel approached him – but then suddenly stopped.

"You.." She was looking over her shoulder to Erza, who was still in her armor and ready to fight if needed. "Will you protect Lucy? All of you?" She just stood there, waiting for their reply as she made quick eye contact with each the mage.

"Of course, Lucy is our family; we would do anything for her." Erza was confused, why was she suddenly asking them to protect Lucy?

"Then I leave the rest to you - I do not want to cause the girl anymore harm." She slowly began to disappear from her spot, casting one last glance at the demon, "I would have ended you quickly; however I don't think they will." She disappeared completely as Lucy was now lying limp on the ground in Levy's arms.

"LUCY!" Levy was worried; Lucy was in the same state as her last mission.

Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, Erza, and Lily in his combat form were all standing directly in front of the demon. Their combined death aura and red glowing eyes causing the demon to slowly back away.

"Hey Happy, ready for a fish fry!?"

"I couldn't agree with you more Natsu, fish does sound rather good."

"Gihi, I guess I can pass on bolts for one night."

"Try not to overcook it Dragon Boy."

The demon instantly called forth his water - but it still wasn't answering; his fight with the spirit depleted all of his curse power. Defending against her attacks took everything he had and without the water there to replenish him, he was done for. She was too fast, attacks too powerful and she could readily use them over and over. He could also sense her sword skills were superior to his, she was truly his better in every way. "_I see why Zeref wanted these keys now.."_ He needed to get back to the sea, he was vulnerable on land. In one last effort he made a dash for the water.

"Oh-hoh.. You thought we'd let you run back to the water after our friend just gave her everything to hand you on a silver platter to us?" Erza was now stopping his movements, foot on his face. "What was that you were saying earlier about me being able to beat you on land?"

The demon paled. This woman was just as scary as that spirit.

"This is for the town's people! Ice Make: Fist!" Gray threw the first punch, shooting the demon back farther from the water as Natsu hit it with one of his special techniques, "Lightning Flame Dragon's Roar!"

"Damn it Flame Brain! I told you not to overcook him!"

"Wanna go Popsicle?!"

"NO FIGHTING YOU TWO! Pentagram Sword!"

"…Yes Erza…"

"Stop hoggin' him!" Gajeel and Lily both brought their metal down at the same time, Gajeel effectively knocking out the rest of the demons teeth as Lily managed to destroy whatever was left of his sabre, which was now back to its original form.

"AND THIS IS FOR LUCY!" all 4 mages threw their finishing attacks. Destroying whatever was left of the town. So much for the reward money..

* * *

When Lucy awoke she saw the ground.. Moving.. "_What the.." _She began to fidget, feeling a lot of warmth in her front. Tilting her head to the side she noticed a white scale like scarf and pink hair, "_thank goodness.. Natsu.." _She couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips at the comfortable feeling. Big onyx eyes landed on hers, "hey Luce, how you holdin' up?"

Lucy then realized Natsu was giving her a piggy back ride, the rest of the team in front; now turned around looking towards Lucy.

"Hey Natsu, been better.. How 'bout you?" She relaxed her head onto his shoulder, blushing slightly at the comfort her best friend so effortlessly provided for her. "Me? Never been better! Took care of that fish-guy for ya!" Natsu was now giving her his trade mark grin.

"I knew you would.." She now had her eyes closed. "How long was I out?"

Levy and Erza had now dropped back and were walking next to Natsu, wanting to check on their friend. "You've been out for a few hours; we left Gallowstown about 45 minutes ago." Levy was smiling at her friend. Slight admiration in her gaze, "_Lu-chan is so strong now.."_

"Oh? Where are we going? Why are we walking?" Lucy's eyebrows were now creased, why were they walking out of Gallowstown? Why wouldn't they have taken the train?

"Heh.. Heh.. Well, you see.. Your spirit's ummm, what did she call it? Gran cero or something? Yeah well it kinda destroyed.. The train station.. And most of the town.." Levy was now scratching the back of her head, sweat dropping. Erza's face gave nothing away.

"Ohhhhhhh nooooooo, now I'm no better than Natsuuuuuuuu!" Tears began streaming down her face, realizing she was now on par with her overly-destructive partner.

"Yeah! Way to go Luce!" Natsu was fist pumping, proud of his partner's ability to wreak havoc on unsuspecting towns. "Aye Lucy! Your spirit was so strong!" Happy was now flying in front of her face, patting Lucy's head to help stop her tears.

"Yes Lucy, those keys of yours are truly something else. I'll have to challenge you once we get back to the guild." Erza was rubbing her chin, completely unfazed by Lucy's monstrous spirits. Everybody sweat dropped and Gajeel and Natsu began shivering thinking of Lucy's eye patch spirit.. Oh God..

Wait.. her keys!

"Oh here you are Luce, I was holding these for you!" Levy handed Lucy her keys back, all counted for and her Arrancar key back on its key ring. "Thank you Levy.. I was just about to have a heart attack.. By the way, where are we going?"

"Well we're heading to the next town over to try and get a ride back to the guild from there. Unless you wanna walk back to Magnolia.." Gray answered, stretching his arms and rubbing his neck.

"Ummm.. Gray.. Your clothes.." Lucy was giving him a pointed stare..

"Yeah I lost 'em during the fight.. Don't know where they went.. And nobody else will give me theirs," he answered way too nonchalantly.

"Is that so.." Lucy stole glances at Levy and Erza, Levy blushing and covering herself while Erza had a vein popping out – Gray was really just as dumb as Natsu sometimes..

"In case you're wondering, we're headed to Dawn City, we'll catch a ride from there." Gajeel decided to finally speak up, since Lucy's question was only ever half answered.

"Alright, sounds good. Thanks for the lift Natsu.. I think I'll be able to walk in a few more hours.."

"Don't worry about it Luce, we're partner's, I'll always have your back!"

Lucy blushed again, _she'd really been doing that a lot lately_, and relaxed into Natsu's back; letting sleep over take her once again.

* * *

.

.

_"Gladius has been killed by the Celestial Wizard and her friends, what do we do now?"_

_"Isn't it obvious? We kill her and her little team, and take the keys. We won't be as careless as the other two; we'll have to single her out. She's weak alone – easy prey."_

_"Yes.. Taking the keys will put us in favor with his lord.. Especially if we kill those who Gladius and Daemon could not."_

_"heh heh heh heh."_

* * *

**Demons lurking in the shadows plotting Lucy's death! But why are the demons so eager to get the keys back?! Who's Lucy going to summon next?! Another summoning in the next chapter :D**

**And I had to summon Harribel first.. Because we have the same birthday! Muahahahaha!**

****Side note: Xiphias Gladius is Latin for Sword and Fish. Daemon just means Demon in Latin; since he was the first he didn't really get a name. **


	8. Chapter 8: Fire vs Fire

**Thank you all for reviewing! I truly appreciate the support! I also appreciate the criticism; if I miss details in my stories that are important I need to have them pointed out. But also keep in mind, just because something isn't specifically mentioned does not mean it didn't happen! Don't forget Lucy's summonings are like a blur right now, details will wait until she can hold the gates for extended periods of time. ****:)**

**Ask and ye shall receive! Chapter 8's Bleach appearance was requested, and I liked the idea so I went with it.**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

A few more hours of walking and it slowly began getting dark, so the team decided to call it a night and make camp. Virgo popped up, tents in hand along with sleeping bags, pillows, and clothes for Gray – which were off in 3 minutes anyways..

"Thanks Virgo! You really are the best!" Lucy really was lucky, though she didn't require her Zodiacs for battle as much lately, they were still there for her.

"Of course Princess, punishment time?" Virgo stood expressionless.

"No Virgo, no punishment for you." She lightly laughed, her spirits sure were something else..

"If that will be all Princess then I'll be on my way" She was about to jump back through her gate when she suddenly turned back around. "By the way Princess, it's only been about 8 hours since summoning your last spirit and you're already able to support me through the gate. You've grown much these past few weeks. I am proud to call you my master." Virgo gave a small smile before disappearing back into the spirit world.

Lucy flushed a little, flattered by her spirits compliment and also fully comprehending what Virgo just said. "_Wow, she's right. Last time I was out for 3 days, this time only knocked me for 8 hours_, _granted I couldn't open one of those gates until tomorrow at the earliest but at least I can call on my Zodiacs."_ She also realized how much power she had to sustain with her most recent spirit and began thinking back on the fight. "_Tier Harribel... so cool!" S_he was now rolling around on her sleeping bag, unable to contain her excitement. Her spirits really were just way too awesome, who wouldn't be excited?!

"Wow Lucy, looks like you're having fun in here!" Levy and Erza came walking into their extravagant "tent". It was more like an enclosed cabana with furniture and "sleeping bags" that were more exquisite than her bed at home.

"Heh, sorry guys, guess I got a little over excited thinking about my newest spirit." She blushed a little, embarrassed being caught up in her own spirits – she probably looked juvenile.

"Oh my goodness I know! She was so cool Lu-chan! She was all stoic and strong, waltzing up to the demon, (in a Harribel impersonation voice) 'sharks eat fish'! Kyaaaaaaaa! So awesome!"

"I know! She looked like a queen! I'd follow her anywhere!" Levy and Lucy were now holding hands, sparkles in their eyes as they remembered Harribel's exploits.

Erza just stared at the girls, and then they realized how foolish they must've looked to the Titania. "Errr, I mean, no one's as good as Erza. She is the Titania after all.." Lucy was now scratching the back of her head. "Uhh, yeah, Erza's really the most dependable woman out there with a sword!" Both began nervously laughing, not wanting to hurt their friend's feelings. She was a powerful mage and swordsman in her own right after all.

Erza was lightly blushing, eyes slightly glazed, the same look she would get while eating strawberry cake. "Lucy, do you think you could call her out again? I'd like to think of her as my big sister.." She now had stars in her eyes – apparently she was just as dazzled as Lucy and Levy over the shark Arrancar.

"Yeah Luce! She was awesome! I wanna fight her!" Natsu came walking into the girls' tent, fists up and Happy sitting on his shoulder.

"You'd only challenge her to a fight cuz she's Lucy's only fighting spirit that doesn't seem like she'd just off you for the heck of it – unlike eye patch.." Gajeel shuddered again thinking of the Shinigami. Wasn't the white key supposed to be _worse_ than the black key? How come the white key's spirit seemed so much more in control with herself?

"Lucy I have to admit, out of all your spirits so far, she's by far your coolest. You should definitely call her out more." Gray came walking in, slightly blushing as he thought back on the ridiculously hot spirit – not only was she strong, but she saved their best friend from drowning. Maybe he was in love..

"Geez Gray.. Better not let Juvia see that face.." Levy was waggling her eyebrows suggestively. Lucy was now holding her keys protectively, as though Gray would attempt to molest them.

"W-what?! What are you talking about?!" He was furiously blushing now.

"Gihi, can ya blame the guy?" Gajeel now had a lecherous smirk on his face, remembering her outfit choices and her barely contained cleavage. Levy smacked him with her book bag and huffed. Taking a quick peek at her own lack of chestly attributes.. It wasn't fair..

"Serves you right Gajeel." Lily was now sitting on Levy's lap, laughing at Gajeel's stunned expression at just being hit.

"I don't get it.. What are you guys talking about?" Natsu was scratching his temple, confusion written all over his face.

Everybody sweat dropped. _Natsu.. You're such an idiot.. _

"Anyways.. I think we should all get some sleep. It's nearing midnight and we had a very long day today, especially Lucy." Erza gave her motherly smile to Lucy, proud of her friend's latest achievements. Then she lost temporary control when Lucy smiled back, pulling her into her chest for a face hug – "come Lucy, come to my buxom, I'm so proud of you.."

"Erza.. I don't think she can breathe.." Levy was trying to pull Lucy out of Erza's death grip as the boys made their way to their own tent, laughing slightly at the girls' antics.

* * *

The team was now on their way to Dawn City, catching a good night's rest did the team good, especially Lucy. The walk wasn't too long, and it was definitely full of beautiful scenery; it was nice to get out of Magnolia from time to time. The team couldn't of been more than 30 minutes from the town, as they made their way through a rather dense forest, signs were guiding them, telling them each time that the city wasn't much further. After a little while more of walking, the group started to realize that something wasn't quite right; they should have arrived by now. They'd been wondering the forest for a good 2 hours and trees were beginning to look familiar, were they walking in circles?

"Something's not right." Erza halted her team, assessing her surroundings. Gajeel had been tense for the past 20 minutes, knowing something was a little screwy but not wanting to be the one to voice it, he was hoping it was just his imagination.

They eventually came to a T-junction in the road, a sign pointing in all 3 directions stating every way led to Dawn City.

"Should we split up..?" Lucy was looking to her team; everybody was thinking the situation over. It was clearly a trap.

"I think we should all stay together, it seems like they want us to split up.." Levy subconsciously gripped onto Gajeel's arm, worry evident in her voice.

"Yes, it is a trap. But they probably won't show themselves unless we split up, otherwise they'll most likely wait us out until we're exhausted and attack then." Erza looked to her team; she didn't want to split up if not everyone agreed with it. They were obviously stronger together, but a few more hours of this and they'd be too exhausted to fight at full capacity.

"I say we split up and fight! Bring it on! I'll take them ALL on!" Natsu was now lighting his fists up, battle face on.

"Tch, I agree with Salamander, we can take 'em." Gajeel had his cocky expression on, hand now on Levy's shoulder, telling her to stay with him – he'd protect her.

"Alright, Natsu you go with Lucy down this path; Gajeel will take Levy this way and Gray and I will head down here. If anyone of us runs into trouble, fire your magic into the air and the other two teams will come to your aid. Everybody clear?" Everybody gave Erza a firm nod. She was team leader for a reason.

"Alright! Let's go! The sooner we beat 'em the sooner we can eat!" Natsu was already walking down his path, "Aye sir!"

The teams went their separate ways, about 30 minutes into their journey the ground began to rumble and an explosion was heard. _"sounds like a battle.."_ Lucy and Natsu tensed, both trying to find which direction the commotion was coming from; then an ice ball was shot into the sky and exploded, Gray was signaling that he and Erza were under attack. A second later, the word firework floated into the sky and exploded, signaling Levy, Gajeel, and Lily were also under attack.

"Well I don't want you three to feel left out.. So shall we begin?" A reptilian creature now stood in front of Natsu, Lucy, and Happy. He had spines from the top of his head rolling down to his back and ending onto his long tail. He was covered in thick armor like scales and was pitch black with red eyes. He was tall, maybe 7 feet and had talons on his hands and feet. He barely had a presence, but he was without a doubt a demon.

"Who are you?!" Natsu was now in battle stance, standing protectively in front of Lucy and Happy.

"My name shouldn't matter. For you won't be living for that much longer." And in an instant he was gone. These demons were fast, unbelievably fast – almost as fast as her spirits. He reappeared in front of Natsu and simply placed a hand on his shoulder; then disappeared again.

"What the..?" Natsu barely registered the Reptiles movements, before his shoulder caught on fire with a blue flame. "AHHHHHHH!" He was now clutching his shoulder. What the hell?! Fire shouldn't have this effect on him!

"Natsu! Are you alright?!" Lucy and Happy were by his side, assessing the damage to his shoulder. His skin was singed; it looked to be a second degree burn. But how? Wasn't Natsu part Dragon?!

"I see now, you're the Fire Dragon Slayer, aren't you? My flame should have incinerated you. Very impressive. Looks like I got lucky that you happened to pair with the girl."

"What do you mean?! Who are you?! Flames shouldn't work on me! And what do you want with Lucy?!" Natsu was angry, this guy was really getting on his nerves.

"Well since you survived my flame I guess I can tell you who I am." The Reptile was now standing on top of a tree branch about 50 feet in the air, his voice echoed. "My name is Ignem, am I to assume you're Igneel's son?" The Reptile creature was giving Natsu a pointed look, observing him.

"You know my dad?!" Natsu was now standing, curiosity coming forth.

"Yes. I know your father. He's the only Fire Dragon to withstand my flame."

"Heh! Sounds like my old man alright!" Natsu now had a cocky grin in place.

"Mmmm, yes, he is rather.. Formidable.. However I was also able to withstand his flames. When we fought all those years ago; it was a draw." Natsu was stunned – his old man wasn't able to beat this guy?!

"Y-you're lying!" Natsu was angry, the demon had to be lying, Igneel's flames were unmatched.

"Am I? Well, my standing here before you should be proof enough that I am indeed speaking the truth.. However.. Maybe I should show you my flame; just so you have a better understanding."

The demon took a battle stance, dark energy began radiating around him; the team was becoming very familiar with this "curse" power.

"Demon's Fire Roar" ..What?!

Before the team realized, a large blue flame in the shape of a Dragon roar was hurdling straight for them. Natsu instinctively stayed in front of Lucy and Happy, he could handle the flames – they couldn't.

"Oh my, still standing? Igneel would be proud." The demon was mocking him now. Natsu was barely standing, and pain was radiating throughout his body.

"NATSU!" Lucy and Happy were now holding Natsu up, he wasn't looking so good.

"Luce.. Happy.. Don't worry. I can beat this guy – I'll do it just so I can shove it in Igneel's face when we finally meet again!" Natsu's determined expression was back, and he was standing again. He was nowhere near ready to give up.

"Now you listen to me! You may have survived a bout with my old man, but all that means is I need to finish what he couldn't! Don't think you're walking away from this alive demon!" Natsu was serious. The fight was only beginning.

"Hah! Truly! I'm glad to hear that, otherwise this would have been too boring. My target may be that girl behind you, but I'd much rather kill you instead." He was now grinning.

_So the demons really are after Lucy.._ Natsu was focused, he wouldn't let this demon come near his friend. "Hah, Like I'd let you touch her!" In one furious motion Natsu leapt up to the Demon's branch, "Fire Dragon's Roar!" the whole canopy was now in flames, the demon landing onto the ground.

"My my my, I truly didn't give you enough credit.. I think you singed my scales a little." He was smirking again, this was going to be a battle to remember, just like Igneel.

"There's more where that came from!" Natsu was now jumping towards the demon, fists on fire, "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Natsu and the Demon were going back and forth; Blue and Red flames intertwining – it would have been beautiful if Natsu wasn't so heavily wounded.

"Hah.. Hah.. Hah.. You.." Natsu was breathing heavy. Their fire power was equal, but the demon having those damn scales protecting him gave him the upper hand, plus he had to keep the flames away from Lucy and Happy.

"Oh no.. Natsu.." Happy was covering his mouth, worry in his eyes. Natsu looked as though he would collapse any second.

"_This is bad.. I need to do something.." _Lucy was fidgeting nervously, Natsu was having a tough time, and having to protect her and Happy while simultaneously fight the demon was too much.

"Lucy! Can't you do something?! Natsu needs help!" Happy was flying in front of Lucy's face now, pleading with her. "_Alright, it's time to step up." _She reached for her key – could she handle a summoning right now? None of her Zodiac spirits were equipped to handle this kind of fire, Aquarius would be fried.. She'd have to use one of her new keys.

She was now looking at her two new keys, "_I know! Maybe Harribel will come again! She is a water Arrancar after all and definitely powerful enough to handle this guy!"_ "Alright Happy, stand back!" "Aye!"

Lucy took her stance, ready to call on her gate.

"And what do you think you're doing little girl?" The reptile was looking at her now, he knew what those keys held, he wasn't about to let her summon a spirit. As he was about to leap Natsu let out another Dragon Roar, effectively blocking him. "Go ahead Luce! As long as whatever you call out can protect you and Happy I can finish this guy!" Natsu gave her his toothy grin, telling her he had it under control.

"Alright Natsu! Here I go! Open, Gate of the Arrancar!"

A light shone and Lucy prepared herself for the impact the spirit would have on her magic – hoping it was the Shark Empress. But she hardly felt anything as the light faded out into a being.

"..."

"W-w-whaaaaaaaat?!" Lucy and Happy both exclaimed at the same time. Before them stood an Arrancar. I think?

"Ooooooaah aaaaaaaaah."

"…"

"…"

"Lucy what the fuck is that?!" Natsu was now standing with his jaw hitting the floor.

There stood a little blonde boy with freckles and two buck teeth. His bright purple eyes were staring at Lucy as he smiled. He was wearing all white and black like Harribel did, and had a hole in his chest. He had a bone fragment on top of his head, resembling a tiara.

"Ummmmm, h-hello.. Little guy.. What's your name?" Lucy gave a worried smile; maybe this little guy was more powerful than they gave him credit for. They should at least give him a chance, after all, all his other spirit counterparts were very powerful and – oh.. Wait.. No.. There he goes.. Chasing a butterfly..

Yep.

They were fucked.

"Oooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaah! Aaaaah ahhhhhhhhhhh!" The Arrancar was running around the vicinity, chasing a butterfly. He even ran right in front of the demon, not even paying him any mind. Even the Reptile sweat dropped. _"Lord Zeref was after this…..?"_

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh ooooooooooooooh"

"_Is he drooling…?"_

_"..."_

"Omg we're all going to dieeeeeeeee!" Happy was now latched onto Lucy's chest, bawling. Natsu even felt all his luck had finally run out.

The demon still hadn't moved. He was till focused on the spirits.. Odd.. Behavior. "_What's the deal with the butterfly?"_

"It's all my fault! My magic was too drained! This was all I could support through the gate!" Lucy was now on the ground, bawling and holding Happy. They were preparing to die.

"Ehemm.. Well.. Back to where we were before this.. Uhh.. Spirit came through.." The Reptile was now looking over to Natsu, ready to continue fighting.

Natsu was slumped over, depression hanging over him.

"Ummm, yes.. Well I guess I'll just go ahead and continue." The Demon was now back into his battle stance, ready to fire another fire attack, "Blue Demon's Flame Arrow!" A blue flame shot straight at Natsu, shaking him from his current mood and bringing his attention back to the battle. He narrowly dodged, landing on the lowest tree branch. "_All this guys' attacks resemble Dragon Magic.. I can do this."_

"Alright demon, let's finish this! I still plan on taking you on! You-"

"Ah Ah Ahhhhh, Oooooooooh."

"…"

The Arrancar was now on the branch above Natsu. Playing with a caterpillar.

The demon took advantage of Natsu's distraction; he gathered all his curse power and prepared for one final Demon's Roar, trying to kill both Natsu and the Spirit. "Times up son of Igneel, Demon's Fire Roar!" Natsu had just noticed the attack, he was ready to jump then remembered the boy spirit, he'd be burnt to a crisp, he jumped in front of the spirit to protect him.

"Natsu! Look out!" Happy was screaming from his place on the ground.

"Please help Natsu!" Lucy all but screamed, not too sure what she was hoping for at this point.

Natsu braced himself for the flames. But they never came. Instead the boy was now standing in front of Natsu, the flames gone. Except it wasn't the same boy, it was.. A monster?

His shoulders and thighs grew significantly larger, with the shoulders popping out upwards. His arms and legs were also altered in size, being much skinnier than before. There were five holes in his abdomen, with two or three lines within each hole, except the middle. His face was covered from the upper half by a tall mask with three small horns, which seemed to make his eye sockets hollow.

"W-what? Where did my flame go?" The demon was wide eyed and confused, his flame just, disappeared. "_Did the boy spirit from a moment ago transform into.. that?"_

"Woah.. Uhh. Thanks little, uhh, I mean now big guy.." Natsu wasn't sure what happened. But he knew he wasn't getting any answers from the spirit; didn't seem like he could speak.

Lucy was glad she was on the ground. The seemingly weak little boy chasing butterflies just transformed and she felt the impact. She began to sweat, "_I've really gotta work on my endurance more."_

The young Arrancar was looking at Lucy again. He reverted back into his child form and skipped over to her. She stopped sweating and the impact was gone, he didn't feel much different from having a Zodiac or two out.

"Ahhhhhhh ahhhhh oooooooooh." Big purple eyes were on Lucy. He crawled into her lap and started hugging her, placing his head in her chest and closing his eyes.

"_He really is just like a little boy.. He's actually.. Kinda cute.." _Lucy was now patting his head, and holding him with her other arm. It was almost like having Plue out. "Thank you, for saving my friend." She was smiling at him now. Mentally kicking herself for doubting his abilities. Happy was patting his head too, "uhhh.. Good scary spirit.. Good boy.."

"_Shit. My flame, I don't have much left.."_ The demon was sweating now; he no longer had the upper hand.

"Now I may not be too familiar with that curse power or whatever, but I can definitely sense the drop in yours. Between your decreased flame power and my injuries from protecting my friends, we should be just about even now." Natsu was now giving the demon a deadly look, cracking his knuckles and grinning. This was going to be a battle of wills; and Natsu had friends he needed to protect.

"Alright, son of Igneel. Let's finish this." The demon took his stance; readying for another roar.

"This is for you boy! Demon's Fire Roar!" All the demon's blue flames came pouring out, this was just as packed as his last one, Natsu stood to take the hit – and opened his mouth.

"W-what?! What are you doing?! You can't eat my flame!" The demons eyes were bulging, the boy was insane.

"Watch me!" Natsu's stomach ballooned as all the blue flame disappeared. He smiled, "Fire Dragon's Blue Flame Roar!" And shot all the demons fire mixed with his own flame back onto the demon - direct hit.

Once the smoke cleared the demon was lying on the ground, which was incinerated about 4 feet in depth. "Son of Igneel.. No.. Natsu was it?" The demon had its eyes closed. Smile in place, "you truly are the son of Igneel, he would certainly be proud. I know I would be." He struggled to open his eye; wanting to make eye contact with the boy who just defeated him. "Though I must confess I wasn't completely honest; my fight with Igneel, it did not end in a draw. Your father spared my life." He was gauging Natsu's reaction, seeing shock and a little pain in the boys features. "_I just hurt someone my father allowed to live.."_ He was now a little ashamed of the way the fight ended. "I know what you're thinking; don't. I would have killed you and all your friends. Dying by your hands sits just fine with me." He gave one last stern look before slowly turning into ash, the intensity of the flames and having no curse power left to protect him – he succumbed to the heat. Natsu was taking in what the demon had just said, a little sad to have ended his life - but he was right, he _would_ have killed Lucy, and many others.

Natsu stumbled, but caught himself before collapsing. Happy flew to his side, holding him up by using his wings. "Thanks Happy.." "Aye sir.."

"Natsu.. Are you okay?" Lucy was still sitting in place, the Arrancar firmly in her lap.

"Yeah Luce, I couldn't of done it.. Uhh.. What's he doing..?" Natsu was now eyeing the boy. Who was smashing his face in the valley of Lucy's chest and using his hands on either side to smash her breasts inward.

"Ummmm..Well.. He is just a.. Child.. And he did kinda save us.. So ummm.. I guess it's okay.. Just this once.." Lucy was furiously blushing. She was hoping he'd be done playing with her chest by the time Natsu finished the fight.

Natsu was blushing furiously. "Hey Luce.."

"Yeah Natsu?"

"I've saved you multiple times."

"…"

Sensing his master's anger the Arrancar went into released form again, chasing Natsu, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Forgive me Lucy! Forgive me!"

* * *

"Lucy! Natsu! Are you guys alright?" Levy came running up, Lily and Gajeel behind her covered in battle wounds.

"Levy! Yeah we're fine now! Are you guys okay?!" Lucy was eyeing her friend up and down, looking for wounds.

"Yeah we're okay, Gajeel and Lily managed to take the demon out, he was some sort of plant demon, he didn't stand a chance!" Levy fist pumped with stars in her eyes, proud of Gajeel's victory.

"You look like shit Salamander" Gajeel was now approaching Natsu, a teasing glimmer in his eye.

"Yeah well, that's what happens when you fight fire with fire." Cocky grin back in place and Happy's paw in the air, "Aye! Nobody can beat Natsu's flames!"

"Not when I'm all fired up!" Natsu was now smiling, feeling rather full of himself.

"Where's Erza and Gray?" Lucy was looking left to right, trying to find her friends.

"Luce where did your little spirit go?" Natsu was now looking left and right as well.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh… Ah Ah"

"Ummm.. Lucy.. Is this one of yours?" Erza and Gray were walking towards the group through the bushes. Carefully walking behind said spirit, as it was trying to catch a Dragon Fly with it's mouth..

"Uhhh.. Yeah.. He actually helped us out.. I wish he could tell me his name though.."

"Wonderweiss Margela"

"..."

"What was that? Did you say something little guy?" Natsu was now bending over, the rest of the team was speechless; did he just say a full blown coherent sentence?!

"I think he said his name is Wonderweiss.." Lucy was stunned. The Arrancar was now looking to her expectantly, like a little boy waiting for his treat after doing something good. Then he tackled Lucy, head back in between her chest; as Lucy was blushing bright red, tears in her eyes.

"Wow Lucy.. Ummm, your spirit, Wonderweiss? Must really like you.." Gray was blushing now, and slightly peeved the spirit got away with shoving his face in Lucy's chest without a Lucy kick. Every time he snuck into her shower he was black and blue for a week..

"Gee, ya think?" Lucy was giving Gray a pointed look. Natsu was still pouting, "No fair.. I've saved you more.." As Erza hit him across the head, "That's different!" … "Sorry Erza.."

"By the way Erza, Gray, any injuries?" Levy was examining Erza, looking for scratches on her armor.

"Not really.. It was an illusionist type of demon, the one who kept sending us in circles. He evaded us for the most part but once Erza smashed his mirrors, he was pretty simple to destroy. Nothing like the demon from Gallowstown - not even S-class worthy." Gray stated matter-of-factly, arms crossed.

"Yeah ours was pretty sad too.. I don't think it was one of the demons on the request board.. way too simple." Lily was now standing in the exact same pose as Gray.

"Guess we got the ring leader, he was one tough customer.." Lucy was looking at Natsu's injuries again, he was a little beat up, but he'd been through worse. If Wonderweiss hadn't helped with the whole flame issue though, Natsu would probably need to be carried the same way she had to on their last job. There was no doubt he could have beaten the demon, but at least he was able to do it and escape unnecessary injury.

"Thanks for all your help today Wonderweiss, you really are a good boy." She was smiling warmly at the top of the boys head as she began patting it.

"Gihi.. I doubt that spirit's as innocent as you think he is."

All eyes went to Wonderweiss. A big grin on his face as he looked up at Lucy through half-lidded eyes. _He knew what he was doing._

"FORCED GATE CLOSURE!"

* * *

**Well that was fun! For those of you who may be confused or forgot, Wonderweiss was solely created to extinguish General Yamamoto's flames. His release name is Extinguir - which means "to extinguish" in Spanish.**

**Side Note: Don't worry my loyal readers, I've got a good 20-30 more chapters I plan on writing out full of multiple summonings and explanations. Just keep your fingers crossed that your favorite character comes out sooner rather than later, though I guarantee he/she/they will be making an appearance and most likely kicking serious ass. **


	9. Chapter 9: Rescue Mission

**Thank you for all the continued support! It means a lot! Slowly I plan on revealing the truth behind the keys, and why Zeref wants them. If I spill it all in one chapter then there wouldn't be too much to look forward to - I wanna do as many summonings as possible before everything is revealed.**

**Also, I've been getting A LOT of Ichigo requests; yes, I know, everyone's dying for Ichigo. I have something very special planned for our favorite little strawberry. Remember, some key characters will be making multiple appearances. It'll build up, I promise - like I said, there's about 30 chapters in the works (that's A LOT of summonings.) so patience my friends.. Patience.. ;)**

* * *

The team finally arrived in Dawn City, and it was beautiful. They all decided a little rest was well deserved, especially since Natsu had a few injuries to attend to and Lucy was fairly drained again. Having the little Arrancar in his child-like form was a lot less daunting; good thing he only stayed in his monster form for a few seconds and didn't use any special attacks.

Lucy, Levy, and Erza decided to take in a few of the shops while the boys and exceeds opted to eat the rest of their money away – the whole reason they couldn't get a vehicle was because they were a little tight on money; and since they did more damage to the last town than the actual demon they got zero reward.

Natsu couldn't stop thinking – which was rare – about Ignem's comment about being there to kill Lucy. The demon at Gallowstown went for Lucy first too; but now it didn't seem like revenge, there was more to this. They didn't just want Lucy dead, they wanted the keys back too, desperately. "_Why does Zeref want these keys? I don't get it, he's not a Celestial Wizard, what could he possibly want with them?"_

"Hey Fire-Match; think too hard over there and you might kill off what's left of your brain cells; what's eatin' ya?" Gray was on the other side of Gajeel, he'd noticed Natsu wasn't eating as much as he usually does and in his own way wanted to know what was going on. Sure, Natsu was an idiot, but he was a friend.. Kinda.. Sorta.. But still an idiot.

"Knock a couple screws loose or something in your fight Salamander?" Gajeel barely spoke as his mouth was full of shrap metal and various screws and bolts.

"Hmmmm, oh. Yeah. Just thinkin' about something the demon I fought said." Natsu barely paid any mind to his two companions, even ignoring their insults; this was odd..

"Alright Natsu, spill." Gray was now giving his full undivided attention to Natsu; it wasn't like him to overlook a fight. Gajeel had stopped chewing on his screws so he could listen, he was curious too.

"Well he said he was only there to kill Lucy and take her keys.. The demon at Gallowstown said the same thing but I thought it was just because she killed Daemon and he wanted to avenge his friend. But in the forest Ignem was more focused on the keys.. Plus we did take the keys from another demon that was guarding them." Natsu was looking at the ground as Gajeel and Gray were still intently listening, gazes focused on Natsu.

"What I'm saying is that I think these demons are after Lucy, the two you guys fought were only a distraction – I think they were trying to single Lucy out." His look quickly became lethal; the idea of them wanting to hurt his best friend was enough to send him on a rampage.

"Wow.. You thought of all that by yourself Natsu?" Gray was genuinely surprised.

"This is serious Gray.." Natsu was still staring at the ground.

"Salamander's right, it makes sense. And if that's the case we need to stay with Bunny Girl. Chick saved my life and I've yet to repay her; you can count me as one of her personal body guards." Gajeel was giving Natsu a look saying he was dead serious.

"If what you're saying is true then I'm sticking by her too. She's one of my best friends and partners, I'm not gonna let anything happen to her." Gray now donned the same look as Natsu.

"Seems the conversation got pretty serious over here." Lily was now walking up with Happy, both exceeds with fish in their hands.

"What's goin' on Natsu? You seem upset.. Want a fish?" Happy was now in front of Natsu, offering him a fish.

"Thanks Happy, but I'm okay, you eat your fish." Natsu gave Happy a half-hearted smile.

"Why are you upset Natsu? Maybe I can help.." Happy was now patting Natsu's hand, wanting to be of use in his friend's melancholy state.

"We think the demons are after Lucy." Gajeel flatly stated, there was no point in hiding it.

"I thought as much.. They did seem to want to go after her more than anyone else." Lily was now looking to Natsu too, the atmosphere was heavy.

"But why would they want to go after Lucy?" Happy was still confused. Lucy was one of the nicest people in the guild, why would demons go after her?

"Because of her keys. Lucy getting her hands on those two keys has indirectly put her on a hit list." Gray was staring at the floor now too.

"Woah.. Should we come back.. Everybody looks like they just lost the grand magic games.." The girls finally showed up, Erza and Levy walking behind Lucy.

"LUCYYYY!" Happy flew into Lucy's face, crying tears of relief. "I'm so glad you're back in one piece!"

"Uhhh, yeah Happy, we just went shopping.. What's going on?" Lucy was now looking to all three men at the table, and all three were still staring at the floor.

"Okay talk. What's going on." Erza slammed her foot on the table, effectively getting everyone's attention.

"We think the demons are targeting Lucy. That the ambush in the forest was to single her out and take her keys." Natsu was looking Erza in the eye, very seriously. She took in his features for a moment, he was clearly upset.

"Yes I know." Erza's expression was completely unfazed.

"W-what?! You knew?!" Natsu had jumped from his seat. Gray and Gajeel both equally as stunned. "But, how did you know?!"

"When the demon at Gallowstown targeted Lucy first. True he wanted to avenge his comrade, but he was sure to take her keys before anything else. Plus the demon that went after you and Lucy was the only S-class demon of the lot; they want those keys back." Erza was casting a cool glance over at Lucy, as Levy was now hugging her from behind.

"Then, all the attacks, everybody getting hurt, all the towns people.. It is all my fault.." Tears started to fill Lucy's eyes.

"No Lucy, just like what the Master said back at the guild. We have no control over their actions and this would have happened sooner or later. If they want those keys then it's for something far worse then what we're dealing with now." Erza placed a hand onto Lucy's shoulder, trying to ease her friend's guilt and provide comfort. Happy now laying on top her head, tears still falling.

"Lucy, we're your friends, if demons were after any one of us, you'd fight for our sake, wouldn't you?" Levy was peeking over Lucy's shoulder, just barely seeing her eyes.

"Y-yes.." She blushed a little, glancing at everybody through hazy eyes.

"Okay good, then what we're doing for you isn't any less than what you'd do for us. At least you can understand where we're coming from." Levy was now smiling, trying to get one back from the Celestial Mage.

"That's right Luce, we're here for each other. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you!" Natsu was now in front of Lucy, hands on her shoulders, trademark grin in place.

"Aye sir!" Happy was now above the three.

"Don't worry Luce, we're all here because we wanna be. You're our friend, don't ever think otherwise." Gray was now standing too.

"I owe ya a debt. Besides, if some demon offs ya who's gonna dance to my music Bunny Girl?" Gajeel was smirking with his arms crossed as Lily nodded in confirmation.

"We're all here for you Lucy, you have nothing to worry about." Erza was now smiling; she didn't want her friend to be troubled over this realization. She purposely kept it to herself so Lucy wouldn't try to run off on her own or something foolish of the sort to prevent her friends from getting hurt.

"Thanks guys.." She was desperately trying to hold back tears. But they pushed themselves through anyways. How did she get so lucky, her friends were truly amazing.

_Zzzzzzz zzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz_

"Erza, something's vibrating in your bag" Levy was hanging over Lucy's shoulder, trying to see what was in the Knight's bag.

She quickly pulled her Communication Lacrima out, Makarov had given one to each team leader in case of an emergency or the teams needed to be in contact with either the guild or each other. If she was getting a call; something was most likely wrong.

A face popped up in the Lacrima, it was Master Makarov. "Erza?"

"Yes master, I'm here." Erza's expression was serious; the rest of her team was now standing behind her and looking at Makarov's face.

"Oh good, your entire team is here and accounted for. Excellent. No serious injuries are there? How's Lucy? Did she use her keys? Is her magic depleted? Oh there she is! Hi Lucy! How are you doing?!"

Everybody sweat dropped.. Was this just a casual call? _Oh Master.._

"Uhh, yeah I'm good Master. I actually managed two more summons." Lucy was giving Makarov a questioning look, couldn't this have waited until they returned?

"Good, good, it would appear you're getting better at managing those keys and your magical ability the more you use them. I'm glad to hear it." That's funny; Capricorn said the exact same thing. Plus she was feeling fine at the moment; she had Wonderweiss out for a good 15-20 minutes and was still able to walk to Dawn City.

"Master, is something the matter?" Erza finally cut into the dull chatter, the Lacrima's were for emergency's, not for casual conversation.

"Oh yes, sorry Erza, sometimes I forget how strict you are. Yes, the reason for my call, well it's about Blue Pegasus' team that took on the S-Class mission solo. Well their guild Master, Bob, hasn't heard from their team in 2 days, they think something may have gone wrong. Your team is currently the only one that is both finished with their original mission and nearest to where their team was last seen. I'm asking you, my children, to answer Blue Pegasus' call for help."

Everyone from the team was now looking to Erza, she was the team leader, and she called the shots.

"Of course master, our team will check it out. Where were they last seen?" Erza didn't even bother to look to her team for acceptance of their newest assignment; she already knew they'd be more than willing to help Blue Pegasus.

"Good, I knew I could count on your team. They're currently in Matza Valley, just south of Gallowstown. They were last seen near the town before the mountains. There are currently 4 missing mages, you may know them as the Trimens." Both Erza and Lucy visibly shuddered.

"Please contact me as soon as you find anything out so I can relay the information to Bob. Now go forth my children! Make Fairy Tail proud!" He ended off with the famous Fairy Tail insignia as the vision clicked out.

"Matza Valley huh? Good thing we decided to walk to Dawn City, we're actually halfway there already." Gray was raising his eyebrows surprised at their luck, it was about time something went their way.

"Alright, we'll take the first train out tomorrow. Everybody ready?" Erza was now facing her team, all with determined expressions on their faces. "Looks like everyone agrees, let's gather some necessities and meet back at the hotel, we'll leave first thing in the morning."

"Aye!"

* * *

The train ride was fairly short; well shorter than their previous two. Natsu was again sprawled on Lucy's lap as Gajeel found himself on Levy's. Erza claimed the window seat as Gray was sitting on the outside row, currently removing his pants.

"Gray.." Lucy was exasperated, how could he really not realize he was taking his clothes off all the time? I mean, come on..

_Overhead: Next stop, Matza Valley._

"This is us. Let's go find our blue pony friends." Gray was smirking as he grabbed all the supply bags from overhead. Natsu and Gajeel were useless, Erza had all her bags, and Lucy and Levy had their hands full with the pathetic Dragon Slayers. Happy decided to catch a ride on Erza's luggage as Lily laughed at Gajeel.

"Okay so we know they were last seen outside town; should we work our way out?" Levy was now handing Gajeel off to Lily, he was way too heavy for her to carry.

"Yes, but being last seen 'outside of town' doesn't really give us a great lead.. We may need to split up again." Erza was rubbing her chin, trying to come up with the most efficient battle plan possible.

"Alright then Erza, how about we go take a look near the mountains, if that's where they were last seen then maybe we'll find some clues." Gray was ungraciously dropping Natsu on the bench.

"Alright, so where should we start?" Lucy was now standing to attention, waiting for orders from Erza.

"Not gonna happen Bunny Girl." Gajeel had just placed his hand on Lucy's shoulder, as though he needed to hold her in place. "Me n' Salamander will take the rest of the uncovered area. We should be able to sniff 'em out."

"Wait.. You don't want me to do anything?" Lucy had one eyebrow raised, looking at the Iron Dragon Slayer skeptically.

"Yeah hold on, why are me and Lu-chan left out?" Levy was now scowling at Gajeel with her arms crossed.

"You need to stay with Lucy; if something happens it's better for the two of you to be together." Gajeel's eyes weren't going to take "no" for an answer. Erza may have been team leader, but Gajeel made this very clear: the girls were to stay put.

"We're not helpless Gajeel! We can take care of ourselves!" Levy was furious. She didn't need him thinking she required his protection or that he could order her around. "We're supposed to be a team! Lucy and I can help! Let us help!"

"NO!" Gajeel all but roared. "We are a team. But when there's a hoard of demons after Bunny Girl shit changes. You're one of her best friends Shrimp, take care of her." His eyes were hardened over; he didn't mean to be so loud, but Levy would have never let it go otherwise. She gave him a just as deadly look back.

"I understand. I'll stay put. I don't want to cause the team any more trouble than I already have." Lucy's eyes were dull and cast towards the ground. She wasn't going to cry, her team has already put up with enough because of her.

"Lucy.." Levy was now holding Lucy's hands. She couldn't leave her, and she knew Gajeel was somewhat right – that he only wanted to keep her safe; but he didn't have to make it so blatantly obvious that he didn't think Lucy could take care of herself. Or that he didn't think she herself was capable either, he really needed to work on his sensitivity skills.

* * *

Levy and Lucy decided to casually walk around town, it was small and quaint; not a big city with lots of people and traffic. Most of the shops appeared to be family owned and ran; seemed odd that there was the possibility of a demon running around with how calm and serene everything seemed. Natsu and Happy decided to take the East side of the mountain as Gajeel and Lily headed West. Gray and Erza proceeded North; so the girls decided to take a peak immediately outside the town, they couldn't just sit around and do nothing - the rest of the team didn't have to know.

"So Lucy.. I was wondering.." Levy was now walking backwards, directly in front of Lucy to look her in the eyes. Both hands innocently behind her back and coy eyes giving the Celestial Mage an idea of what topic her blue-haired little friend was about to explore.

"U-uhh, yes Levy?" She was nervous now.

"That whole thing with Sting back at the guild.." A crooked smile was on her face as she noticed Lucy's light blush.

"Oh that.. Haha.. That was nothing.. He was only trying to get under Natsu's skin, that's all!" She was waving her hands in front of her face profusely denying any implications Levy was edging towards. Sting didn't like her; he was just trying to piss Natsu off.

"Hmmmm, I dunnoooooo, he had.. The _look_ Lu-chan." Levy was barely containing her laughter as Lucy went from a light blush to a full blown tomato. The "_look"_? What did that mean?!

"What are you talking about Levy?!" Lucy squealed slightly, embarrassed and curious at the same time.

"Oh you know, that look you get when you find something really good to eat and can't wait to take a bite.. If ya know what I mean." Levy was in full bouts of laughter as Lucy was covering her face and whining her name. This was humiliating..

"No Levy.. I think you've got it all wrong.. He's just competitive.. He's under some weird impression that Natsu may see me more as a friend and wants to get one up on him. Trust me." Lucy's blush was almost gone as she finished her sentence in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Well, what about Laxus?" Levy's devious facial expression was back. _Boy was she on one today._

"Oh Levy, now you're just crazy." She couldn't help but roll her eyes at that one.

"Well, he did say some rather sweet things to you before your mission. Plus when you all came back Laxus was the one that carried you in; he looked like somebody had just taken all the lightning out of his life." Levy knew Lucy didn't know about this little detail and was taking in her reaction.

"H-he did?! I always just assumed Natsu would have carried me.." Lucy was staring straight ahead, "_Wow.. Laxus did that huh? He really is a good guy deep down inside.."_

"Yep! Granted Natsu wasn't too happy about the set-up but that's what happened. He was also at the guild every day and night while you were in the infirmary. He refused to leave; Freed had to go to his house to grab some of his stuff. Same with Natsu and Gray.." Levy was gauging Lucy's reaction to the rest; she knew nobody had told Lucy since Laxus threatened everyone to not say a word. He really was a softy on the inside, _just like Gajeel._

"Wow.. I had no idea.. I mean he probably just felt really guilty since he was team leader and well, I did almost die.." Lucy was rubbing the back of her neck. She expected that reaction from Gray and Natsu, she would have done the same thing for either of them, but Laxus was a surprise.

"Hmmm, maybe.. By the way, were you able to put any of that lingerie to use that Cana lent you?" Levy was gaping from ear to ear. Lucy was so red Erza's hair would have been envious.

"Omg Levy! No! I didn't! And Natsu even went through my bag and pulled a pair out, he wore them on his head! I almost died! I never thought Bixlow would let me live it down!" She'd almost completely forgotten about the memory, once she woke up in Magnolia everyone's focus was on her keys, including her own.

"He's probably afraid you'd send one of your spirits on him." Levy and Lucy were laughing now, imagining Wonderweiss chasing Bixlow and attempting to eat his dolls as if they were bugs of some sort – the boy really seemed to like bugs.

"By the way, why was Natsu going through your bag..?" Levy had one eyebrow down and the other arched, definitely curious.

"'Cuz he's Natsu.. He's always getting into my stuff.. Breaking into my house, eating all my food, putting my clothes on.. Sleeping in my bed.. I even caught him trying to run off with one of my bras on Happy's head one time.. He's such an idiot." Lucy was face palming, he may be her best friend, but he was lacking in the common sense department, actually in the brain department all together.

"Wait.. You've slept with Natsu?!" Levy accidentally screamed, why hadn't Lucy ever told her about this before?!

"No, no, no, Levy, you've got it all wrong, we're just friends, he crawls into my bed sometimes because he says his hammock is uncomfortable. Happy sleeps in my bed too, he's never touched me." It was her turn to laugh at Levy now, she was so flustered. "By the way, what's the deal with you and Gajeel, you two seem rather close." She was on a roll; it was her turn to put Levy on the spot.

"Not that this idle chatter isn't interesting or anything, but I'm afraid I have to cut the two of you off." A voice echoed all around the girls; stopping them in their tracks – cold sweat running down their backs.

"Lucy.. I don't see him.." Levy was now standing back to back with Lucy, just so they'd have a 360 degree view.

"I don't either Levy.." Lucy was slowly starting to panic; nothing was worse than not being able to see your enemy. She started to think back on her mission to get the keys in the cave. She instinctively reached for her pouch, causing them to jingle a little as she held one in her fingers.

"Oh my how lucky, the Celestial Mage would actually wander away from town and right to me, how very nice.. I figured the red head in the knight armor wasn't the one we were after; so it had to be either one of you." His voice was everywhere, and nowhere. He was whispering in her ear and speaking from a distance. He felt to be the very air itself.

"Where are you?! Show yourself?!" Levy was preparing to defend herself, and getting ready to send a signal out to the rest of the team

"I am here, I am there, I am everywhere.." he began to chuckle darkly, clearly amused with himself.

"Are you the one responsible for Blue Pegasus' disappearance?!" Lucy was becoming angry; these demons really were ass holes.

"Blue Pegasus.. Ahhhh.. Yes.. That sounds familiar.. They had that Air Magic Mage.. He was quite annoying." _Ren..?_

"Where are they?! They better be okay!" Lucy was becoming furious. She'd had enough of all these demons.

"I thought I smelled a wonderful perfume! Trimens – assemble!"

Out came Hibiki, Ren, and Eve with Ichiya in the lead – trade mark Trimen pose full force with stars and everything; except they all looked like shit.

"…"

"…Are you guys okay?" Levy wasn't sure if she should be worried or not, sure they had a lot of energy but they looked absolutely battle worn.

"My princess, this is nothing for your Prince," Eve was now on one knee, kissing Levy's hand.

"Please, have no fear; I will give my life to protect you." Ren was now formally bowing in front of Lucy.

"Can I get you ladies anything? Beautiful women such as yourselves should be enjoying the finer things in life." Hibiki was now pulling up two lawn chairs for the girls to sit in and two iced teas. Both girls sweat dropped. _Where did the chairs and drinks come from?!_

_"_Such lovely perfume as always Miss Heartfilia." Ichiya was full-blown sniffing Lucy's arm now. She was blanching and fighting the urge to Lucy-kick him. "_Why did we even bother coming.."_

"So you've finally come out of hiding have you?" The voice was back, and the Trimens were finally getting serious.

"Hibiki, what do you know about this demon?" Lucy was looking to the Archive Mage; sure he'd have researched the demon's abilities.

"He's a type of Air Element; and he somehow manages to get one up on Ren every time – we've only been able to hold him off between my archive shield, Ren's air manipulation and Eve's Snow Magic – but nothing seems to work. Even Ichiya's perfume magic is practically useless unless it's for defense. He just keeps slipping out of all our attacks.. Did anyone come with you Lucy?" Hibiki was looking at the Celestial Mage with hope in his eyes. They were in desperate need of back up.

"We're here with Natsu, Erza, Gray, and Gajeel; they headed towards the mountain to look for clues about your guys' whereabouts. Your guild master sent us to find you." Lucy was now looking to Levy, if the Trimens were barely fending this guy off what should they do? "Levy, do you think you can signal the rest of the team with a firework?!" She remembered Levy's signal back on their walk to Dawn City, if that didn't catch everyone's attention then nothing would.

"Sure thing!" Levy threw the word "firework" into the air again, but then it slowly became transparent until it disappeared. Almost as if the wind just.. Carried it away.

"W-what?!" Levy was startled, what happened to her magic?!

"Come now, like I'd let you call for reinforcements.." The voice was whispering in Levy's ear, goose bumps formed all over her body.

"Looks like we have no choice then gentlemen. We must protect the ladies! Trimen! To battle!" Ichiya was posing and winking at the girls, _God he was so gross sometimes.._

"Yes Ichiya aniki!" All three Trimen members were now behind their leader.

"Must we go through this again.. Your Air Magic only matches my Air Curses at best. Your attacks don't work on me." The voice was now laughing, and slowly began to take a ghostly form only a few yards away from the group. He was completely transparent, barely even a silhouette, he looked like some sort of lost spirit. _Speaking of spirits.._

Lucy pulled her keys out, they were there to save the Trimens after all, and she couldn't just stand by and let them do the saving.

"Alright guys! Stand back!" Lucy had determination in her eyes, after all her summonings she was sure she could keep this gate open long enough to handle this. She decided to use her black key this time, the thought of Wonderweiss coming out and chasing the nearby fireflies made her mentally face palm.

"Open! Gate of the Death God!"

A light shone and slowly dimmed out into a form. And what a form it was. The Trimens were all standing, speechless. Words couldn't describe the sight before them – heck they couldn't even pull it together enough to strike a pose.

"Oh, so this is what Ukitake and Kenpachi were talking about, what a trip."

_Oh my.._

* * *

_steady foot steps could be heard down the halls of Las Noches._

_**"**Harribel.."_

_A blonde Espada stopped, turning her attention to whoever was addressing her._

_"Barragan, is there something I can do for you?" Tier Harribel was carefully watching his movements, he never sought her out. For anything._

_"As I'm sure you noticed, Wonderweiss' reiatsu disappeared completely for about 20 minutes. He was not in any part of Hueco Mundo, the Living World, or the Spirit World."_

_"Yes, I did notice."_

_"I also noticed the same thing with your reiatsu the other day; though it was for only 5 or so minutes."_

_"..."_

_"Harribel, were you by any chance summoned to another world?"_

_"How would you know about something like that?"_

_"Child, I was the former ruler of Las Noches, don't forget, I've been around for a very, very long time. __Did you happen to see a key?"_

_"A key? No, I didn't. What's this about?"_

_"...I'm sure it's nothing."  
_

* * *

**A spirit that has everybody speechless?! And what does Barragan know? What's he keeping to himself? Dun dun dunnnnnnnnn!**

**Next chapter will be up either tomorrow or the day after - schools kicking my butt right now, but I did both chapters together!**


	10. Chapter 10: Not Even S-class

**Thank you all so much for supporting my fic! It really means a lot, your beautiful reviews and having new followers and people favoring this every day makes the time put into writing it all worth while! Again, I do appreciate criticism - but only if it's constructive! details will slowly come in chapter by chapter (I feel like a broken record now) if you don't want to wait I don't hold it against you! And if you don't like my style of writing that's fine too! Please be nice :) **

**I had an EXCELLENT question: Where is Bleach at within this fic. I purposely left that out, I wanted it to reveal itself but I'll tell ya! I want all the Espada available so it will c_urrently_ take place before/during the Winter War - otherwise I wouldn't have had Wonderweiss. I'm not going to go into too much detail about that because I want to experiment a little and see how things turn out. But yes, Aizen is ****currently **alive. 

**Will Vizards make an appearance? It's possible ;) Nobody's immune to my crack summonings!**

**Kurotsuchi was a good guess! But the spirit iiiiiiiis..**

* * *

A very voluptuous form was standing before the 6 mages.

She had strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes, full lips, and a beauty mark sitting delicately on the right side of her mouth. She wore a black robe that hung very loosely on her chest area, allowing her cleavage to almost completely spill out. She had a golden necklace tucked between her cleavage and a long pink scarf over her shoulders, she was so beautiful even Levy and Lucy had to blush.

"The Trimen's jaws all hit the floor and an uncharacteristically deep blush took over their bodies as their true nature took over.

"Miss, I don't know your name, but know I would go to hell and back just to be in your presence." Eve was back to his one-knee pose, possessively stroking the spirits right hand. _Has he ever cursed before..?_

"No my sweet rose, it is I, Hibiki, who would do anything for a one of a kind beauty such as yourself. Please, have dinner with me." Hibiki was clasping her other hand, tears in his eyes.

"If it is true love you're looking for, then you must choose me.. Even if it's indirectly." Ren was standing with his hands in his pockets, looking to the ground and blushing with a semi-scowl in place. _Tsundere..?_

"My, this perfume! I've never smelled anything like it! My dear, my love, my soul mate!" Ichiya was sniffing her hair as he lightly brushed his fingers over it. _So creepy.._

_"Oh god.. My poor spirit.. She must hate me now.."_

"Please my queen, is there anything I can get you?" Ren was now standing with a hand towel delicately folded over his arm. _Where do they keep pulling all this stuff out from?!_

Lucy had had enough, she was about to intervene, this was way too embarrassing.

"Got any saké?" The spirit now had her eyebrows raised. Lucy stumbled, and Levy sweat dropped. That definitely wasn't the answer they were expecting.."_Omg this new spirit is a lush.."_

"On second thought, hold the saké. You, blondie." The spirit was now pointing at Lucy, giving her an authoritative look demanding compliance.

"Y-yes ma'am!" Lucy was standing to attention.

"Are you Lucy?" She now had her arms crossed, pushing up her cleavage and causing the Trimens to nose bleed, one eye brow cocked.

"Yes, that's me!" Lucy gave a hesitant smile; this spirit seemed rather serious – minus the saké request a minute ago. Then in a matter of seconds she was being completely smothered.

"Yaaaaaaaaaay~ you summoned me! Ukitake told me all about it! All us Gotei 13 soldiers have been making bets on who would be called to fight next and I wiiiiiin~ I'm Rangiku! Rangiku Matsumoto, Lieutenant of the 10th Division! What can I do for you?" She was still holding Lucy in an over-the-top embrace. Levy was waving her arms seeing her friend beginning to turn blue; _man this woman has a grip._

"Umm, Matsumoto-san.. I don't think Lucy can breathe.." Levy hesitantly spoke up, a little taken aback by this spirit's antics, she was rather eccentric.

"Oh! Oops! Sorry about that!" Matsumoto finally released the Celestial Mage, scratching the back of her head. "So, who do I have to destroy?!" Perky gaze turned to the Trimens as the three younger mages ran behind Ichiya.

"That's the thing, uhh, Matsumoto-san, we can't detect a solid presence. He seems to be in the air itself; we don't know how to defeat him." Lucy was worried; she wasn't sure how they were going to handle this fight.

"No, no, no, you call me Rangiku!" Matsumoto was giving Lucy a playful-stern look and wagging her finger. "So! Master! You want me to get rid of an enemy you can't see is that right?

"Oh, please, don't call me Master.. I'd like to think of us as friends! Call me Lucy!" She was beginning to like this new spirit; she was so quirky and fun. She kind of reminded her of Cana mixed with a little bit of Mira.

"I've had enough." A gush of wind began to form a tornado around the group, the oxygen becoming thinner and debris aimed at the mages.

"Aerial Phose!" Ren was now standing on the outside of the group swinging his arms around, two small cyclones were now forming; they were beginning to destroy the ground and lifting the shattered stones and rocks. He was trying to counter-attack the demon, blocking the incoming debris with his own; but he couldn't block all of it. The team was slowly getting beaten down, from superficial cuts to being impaled by small objects. This was bad, it was only a matter of time before a piece of debris would impale straight into an organ.

Then it suddenly stopped. "My I am impressed Air Mage, that attack surely would have ended your little team if you weren't so quick on your feet. " He began to laugh again – this was just a game to him.

"Well that was rude!" Rangiku was pushing her hair out of her face and fixing her robes when she felt a dull throbbing pain in her heart. She looked to Lucy, she was bleeding - profusely.

"Lu-chan! Are you okay?!" Levy was practically in tears, Lucy was bleeding pretty badly from her torso; a piece of stone sticking out.

"_So this is what Ukitake was talking about, not only am I unable to cause the girl any harm I'm absolutely compelled to keep her safe. Why?"_ Rangiku could feel the anger in her rising, she was there to protect the girl and she had been injured on her watch. Her pride as a Shinigami and the Lieutenant of the 10th division was on the line. She'd make him pay.

Lucy suddenly felt something being wrapped around her, Rangiku had taken her pink scarf off and was using it to splint her wound, and she looked angry.

"I apologize Lucy, I should have been more vigilant." She gave Lucy a quick glance, she was beyond angry, she was absolutely pissed.

"An air creature huh? It's obvious you don't have a solid form at the moment - which I'm sure is part of your technique. But since you are a living being, you must have a body, shall I assume you've simply made it thin out to take the anatomy of the surrounding air?" Rangiku was now standing, katana unsheathed.

"My you are perceptive spirit. Yes, I do have a body, and it's almost as thin as the air itself; that sword of yours is far too bulky to harm me. Poor girl, you're completely useless." He began laughing again. _He really liked laughing._

Rangiku smirked, oh this guy was gonna get it. "Is that right? We'll just have to see about that. **Growl Haineko.**"

Her blade suddenly turned into ash, barely visible to everyone.

"What.. Did you just do?" The demon was confused, where did her sword go?

"My Zanpakuto is very unique; you see the blade turns to ash and spreads, allowing it to temporarily thin out. Sound familiar?" She was smirking.

He instantly formed his own cyclone, in an attempt to blow the ash away. They only encircled his miniature typhoon and stayed within the immediate area, any particles that were blown simply regathered and reemerged where Matsumoto had originally sent them.

_"Why aren't her ashes going anywhere? My wind should easily blow them away."_

"I know what you're thinking. My sword has a mind of its own you see, and it only listens to me; well, sometimes. You can shoot your wind around as much as you like, but the ashes will still bend to my will and with power as pathetic as yours you can't do much." She began tilting her sword's hilt, allowing the ashes to slice aimlessly through the air. She couldn't see his body, but she didn't need to. The demon shrieked and cursed, random blood splatters could be seen on the floor. He had somehow manipulated his body to almost be the air itself, completely invisible and almost impossible to attack - unless you were using Haineko.

"I can do this all day demon, it's only a matter of time before my blade's ashes slice you through and through." She had a merciless look, she would be showing no mercy.

The demon began pulling himself back together, a more physical form than the first one he showed the group, he was becoming completely whole and bleeding. "This is the first time anyone's been able to use a physical attack on me. I am impressed but now that I'm whole again my power is also whole. Your lucks run out spirit." He began laughing again, the battle had now turned to his favor, small knicks like these couldn't kill him, her sword' attacks were barely more than paper cuts.

"Well I didn't finish explaining how my blade works. Haineko's ash _is_ my blade, all it takes is a simple hand gesture and the ashes move as you've seen; however, Haineko's ability is rather limited. When the ash is so widely spread the attacks are rather small with only minimal damage." She was looking over his superficial cuts,"but if I can focus all the ash into a specific area, well, you might as well be getting cut with my blade fully intact. I'm surprised, I didn't even need to trick you to reform yourself, you did that all on your own." The demon quickly realized his mistake and attempted to blow her ashes away again, but before he could summon any air she'd already flicked her wrist, "**Cat Round Dance.**" All her ash was now twisting around the demon, completely enveloping him and ripping him apart. He howled and shrieked as he was ruthlessly being torn to shreds from every direction.

"Next time you should think twice before attacking my Lucy. But then again, I guess there won't be a next time for you." She was calling her ash back to her hilt, reforming her sword. The demon was now fully solid and lying on the ground, bleeding on every square inch of his body with deep painful wounds.

The Trimens were watching in fascination as they were all hovering over Lucy, ready to protect her in case of another attack.

"W-wow miss Matsumoto.. You're so amazing.." Eve had stars in his eyes.

"This.. This perfume.." Ichiya was in tears.

"If only we had you around a few days ago.." Hibiki had a slightly amused expression on his face, it was so easy for her; and here they were fighting and running around for 3 full days running on empty. Their Lacrima was in pieces thanks to one of Eve's ice attacks and they didn't want to run to town, afraid the demon would follow and pull all those innocent people into their battle. Having the right technique was all they needed.

Ren and Levy were completely focused on Lucy, she was bleeding badly. They needed to pull the fragment out of her and close her up – but nobody had the right equipment.

"This.. This isn't over yet.." The demon was attempting to stand. "I.. I can still fight.. I.. Will get those keys.." He was now looking at Lucy. "Heh.. Heh.. Heh.. I aimed that quite well, though I was hoping it would pierce her heart. No matter, I still hit an artery; she'll bleed out and be dead within the hour."

_Slash_

The demon's head was completely severed from its body. Eve and Ichiya blanched slightly at the horribly bloody sight. Matsumoto had disappeared and instantly reappeared next to the demon. This woman got serious when she wanted to, and the demon paid the ultimate price for pissing her off.

"Is there a town near?" Matsumoto was addressing the mages without even turning around. Yes, she was angry. But angry at herself, she was summoned to protect Lucy and did a terrible job. If anything happened to the girl, she'd never forgive herself – all her questions would have to wait.

"Yes, there's a town maybe 15 minutes back that way." Levy was pointing behind them, in the direction her and Lucy wandered from.

Matsumoto was now looking in the direction Levy was pointing at. "I'm going to take her. The rest of you can meet us when you get there."

"Wait! I want to come with you!" Levy was pleading with the spirit, she didn't want to leave her friend, what if the worst happened and she wasn't there?!

"No. Carrying you will only slow me down. Lucy is my priority; you can meet us when you arrive in the city. I'll be taking her to whatever hospital they have to offer." All her previous happy-go-lucky mood was nowhere to be found. She was pissed. She wasn't going to argue with anyone and she was taking Lucy. They all knew she only wanted to do what was best for the girl; Ren and Levy allowed the spirit to slowly pick the Celestial Mage up. "See you guys in town." Before they could register a reply she was gone. "Man.. That spirit's fast.."

* * *

"Natsu, do you really think Lucy and Levy are okay?" Happy was flying in front of his friend; they'd been searching the mountain for hours with only small signs and hints to the Trimen's whereabouts.

"Of course she is Happy! They're safe in town!" Natsu was walking with his hands leisurely placed behind his head, looking towards the sky. They really didn't find anything useful, maybe the others had better luck.

"That's not what I mean Natsu.. Gajeel was pretty rough back there with what he said.. I'm sure Lucy and Levy are really sad right now.." Happy landed on Natsu's shoulder, sadness was written all over his face. He knew Gajeel's words had hurt the girls, especially Lucy.

"Yeah I know.. I didn't agree with it either. Lucy's a mage, if she wants to come out and help, she should be able to." Natsu had a slight scowl, he didn't like the way the situation was handled, but he was still too affected by his motion sickness on top of his wounds to vouch for his friend. But deep down inside, he was a little relieved to know Lucy was in a safe place.

"Natsu!" Gray and Erza came crashing through the bushes, panic stricken. "We just got a call from Levy on the Communication Lacrima, Lucy's hurt! Bad! She's in town!"

"Let's go Happy!" "Aye sir!" Happy had pulled his wings out once again and was flying Natsu towards the town. It was only a few minutes with Happy going full speed and to the point where his wings disappeared, just on the outskirts. Natsu grabbed his friend and took a full sprint towards the town, looking for a medical building. He spotted the Trimens.

"Hey! Where's Lucy?!" Natsu barely stopped before slamming into Hibiki.

"Natsu! Lucy's inside! She's okay now, they removed whatever impaled her and have her stitched up. They're going to discharge her any minute." Hibiki had his hands up trying to calm the Dragon Slayer down, he was really fired up.

"Who did this?!" He was actually on fire now..

"It's okay Natsu, Lucy's spirit already killed the demon. Made him suffer a little before too." Ren was taking the same stance as Hibiki now trying to calm the boy down.

"He's lucky, I woulda done a lot worse." Natsu was still seething. Hibiki and Ren flinched a little.

"Natsu!" Levy and Lucy came walking out – Lucy in a wheel chair.

"Lucy! What happened?! Oh God you can't walk anymore?! So cruel!" Happy was bawling in Lucy's lap – _What a drama queen.._

"No Happy I'm fine, just a nasty little cut. I have to leave in a wheel chair, it's hospital protocol.." Lucy was now petting his head trying to get him to stop crying, it really wasn't necessary.

"Lucy. What happened?" Natsu now had both hands on either side of the wheel chair's arm rests. His nose was almost touching Lucy's.

"Natsu.. It's okay really, I'm fine.. My spirit got me here before anything serious happened." She had never seen Natsu like this, sure he's protective over his friends and gets really worked up, but this was almost.. Dark.. So uncharacteristic of him..

"You're not leaving my sight from here on out." He stood erect, practically boring holes into Lucy's eyes. She couldn't find the words to say, neither could Levy.

"Lucy!" Erza and Gray were now huffing having ran the whole way; Gray was able to use some of his Ice Magic as a slip-n-slide on all the downhill portions, easily cutting 45 minutes into their journey. Gray was now grasping her wheel chair's arm rests in the same manner Natsu was just moments ago. He was intently scanning her for injury.

"Guys it's okay, I'm fine really! My only concern is whether or not I'm going to have a scar!" She tried to be as cheery as possible; her team looked as though they'd been through battle, were they that worried?

"Erza you didn't let me finish on the Lacrima.. Lucy was bleeding pretty bad but she was brought to the hospital so fast that it was practically nothing.." Levy had her hands up, trying to calm her team down.

"You said she was bleeding a lot!" Erza was still a little frazzled and still getting over the initial shock of thinking her closest girlfriend was about to die.

"I know, I know I did and she was! The doctor said one of her arteries was opened, but they stopped the bleeding before anything critical happened. She's good to go! She can even walk! The wheelchair is just a little rule the hospital has when releasing patients.."

Erza and Gray both visibly sighed, all the tension they had built up slowly faded away.

"Where's Gajeel and Lily?" Levy was looking left and right.

"We didn't see him, we just so happened to run into Natsu on our way down." Gray was now standing next to Natsu, noticing his expression. He was still pissed.

"So what happened to the demon?" Gray was casting a glance to where the Trimens were. But they weren't there anymore. "Where did they-"

"Erza, truly, your perfume is the best." Ichiya was now floating next to Erza, attempting to hold her hand.

"Miss Heartfilia, please, don't hesitate to ask for anything. A beautiful woman should never have to go through such pain, please consider me as your slave until you're fully healed." Eve was in his typical one-knee pose holding Lucy's hand.

"Please, if there's a scar allow me to take responsibility, I will forever be yours." Hibiki now had tears streaming down his face; bowing in front of Lucy

"You sacrificed everything for our sakes, I shall give you my life as gratitude." Ren was now standing with his right hand over his heart.

Levy, Natsu, and Gray sweat dropped. Ichiya went flying into the building. _Nice Erza_.

Lucy had a look of disgust mixed with irritation. _What's with these guys.._

"Uhh, no thank you, that really won't be necessary, I'm fine.." Lucy was slowly pulling her hand away from Eve. Then he was suddenly gone – smashed into the building wall next to Ichiya.

"Gajeel!" Levy shouted in surprise at his sudden entrance – and rough handling of one of the mages they were supposed to be saving.

"You alright Bunny Girl? What the fuck happened?" He was looking at Levy, making sure she wasn't hurt. Lily was now perched on her shoulder, nodding to Gajeel that she had hardly any injuries. _"Do we really need to repeat the same story again.." _Levy and Lucy sweat dropped and sighed dejectedly.

"We take full responsibility. We should have protected the girls. Though, if they hadn't shown up we don't know what we would have done." Hibiki was now standing and speaking directly to Gajeel, passing glances at the rest of the team as well. "It was an Air demon, if Ren wasn't here to counter-attack, we probably wouldn't have lasted another day. That new spirit of yours was very impressive Lucy." He was now looking to her with a smile. It seemed like every time he ran into the girl she surprised him time and time again.

"Well we guess the demon was S-class for a reason. Good job Lucy." Erza was now hugging Lucy. A little too tight. "Erza.. Her wounds.." Levy face palmed, she was becoming exhausted – what a day.

"S-class?" Hibiki was looking at Erza, eye brow raised. "That wasn't the S-class demon." Hibiki was standing with his hands in his pockets, face as serious as could be.

"What do you mean?" Gray was giving Hibiki an incredulous look.

"That wasn't the S-class demon. The S-class demon took off from here the day we arrived, we don't know why though. His little Air friend decided to stay behind and toy with us." Hibiki had a light scowl on his face, bordering pain. It was a rough few days for their team, and in the end they couldn't even defeat a demon that wasn't even considered S-class; how humiliating.

"No Hibiki, I know what you're thinking because it's written all over your face. That demon may not have been S-Class in terms of strength, but his powers were formidable to say the least. Any one of us wouldn't have been able to last a day let alone 3 against his attacks. You did Blue Pegasus proud, don't ever think otherwise." Levy was now wagging her finger in place, only lightly scolding the Archive Mage and adding a smile at the end. Hibiki couldn't help the blush, she actually cheered him up a little bit.

Gajeel definitely didn't like that as he unceremoniously dropped his hand on Hibiki's shoulder fully taking his attention away from the Script Mage, "Don't sweat it." His tone was meant to be reassuring, but the look in his eye was saying, _don't even think about it boy._

"Ahah.. Hah.. Yeah.. Uhh, thank you.. Levy.. Gajeel.. I think I'll go pull my teammates from the building now.." He was sweating bullets under Gajeel's heavy gaze as he quickly made his way to the rest of his team.

"By the way Lucy, we never told your spirit thank you for saving all of us." Levy was completely oblivious to the position she was in only seconds ago, now helping Lucy out from her wheel chair.

"Oh yeah, I still have her pink scarf too.. I really wish I knew how to call spirits out individually, I'd like to give this back to her." Lucy was pulling the scarf out of her bag of items the hospital kept together for her. Putting her key belt back on and carefully folding the scarf and putting it away in one of their bags.

"I think we should stay the night, head out in the morning. We've all had a busy day, sleeps the best option right now." Erza was on Lucy's other side just in case she needed any help walking. The Celestial Mage was waving her hand trying to let her team know she was alright, it was nothing to be so worried about. Gray and Gajeel were close behind with Lily still perched on Levy's shoulder. Natsu still hadn't moved from his spot.

"Natsu.. Are you okay? Everybody's leaving.." Happy was flying in front of Natsu, trying to get a good look at his face, and didn't like what he was seeing. Natsu was still angry. Very angry.

"Happy.. What if she died? We weren't here to protect her." His anger soon melted into sadness and deep concern. _Now there's the Natsu we all know and love._

"Natsu, do you believe in Lucy?" Happy had his head tilted to the side, like a curious child.

"Well.. Yeah, why do you ask that Happy?" Natsu was confused. What did that have to do with this?

"Well, everybody seems to think that they need to protect Lucy. Like, that Lucy couldn't take care of bad guys on her own. I don't know.. Every time we go on missions I see Lucy get roughed up pretty badly.. But she always stands back up and gives it her all!" Happy had his fist in the air and a look screaming "fighting spirit" across his face. "She always manages to come back twice as hard and come up on top." He was looking back to Natsu now, who's eyes had gone wide. "Lucy's strong Natsu. A lot stronger than any of you give her credit for and it's not fair to Lucy.. She always helps out, and is somehow there when you need her the most. She's even saved us Natsu.. And now Blue Pegasus." Happy was now staring straight into Natsu's eyes, looking to see if the Dragon Slayer understood the point he was trying to get across.

Natsu's surprised expression turned to a smile. "Wow Happy, you're right. I was so wrapped up in wanting to protect Lucy and keep her safe from everything that I completely forgot she is pretty capable of doing it herself. But I still worry about her, I guess I just can't help it." Natsu was now patting his head, "thanks Happy.. Now let's go catch up to the rest of the team!" Natsu was now running to catch up to his team, who had stopped and waited after noticing their Fire Dragon Slayer and blue exceed weren't with them. "Come on Happy!" Lucy was now waving and smiling, and Happy couldn't help but smile back. "_Thanks Luce.. I'm really glad we brought you into the guild."_ Happy was flying full speed, passing Natsu up and landing on Lucy's shoulder.

* * *

The next morning the team was already on the first train back to Magnolia. The Trimens were able to speak to their Guild Master the night before and had decided to take the first train back that night, everyone just assumed they must've been pretty home sick.

Everything was as it should be, Natsu half-conscious on Lucy and Gajeel in the same state on Levy. Gray and Erza at the window seats as Gray was fidgeting with his shirt.

"Don't even think about it.." One cold glare from Erza instantly stopped all his fidgeting.

"By the way, has anyone spoken with Master yet? I'm sure he wants to know how our mission went and our train ride is pretty long.." Lucy was sympathetically patting Natsu's head. _Poor guy.._

"Mmm, no I thought to call him last night but I figured we'd see him soon enough. Besides, the Trimens contacted Blue Pegasus directly and the Master only wanted us to call if we had word on their whereabouts so he could let their Guild Master know." Erza was also afraid that if she called, Makarov might send them out for another errand or mission, and she wanted to get Lucy home and safe. She had a lot to discuss with the Master about Lucy and her keys.

Lucy was absentmindedly playing with the scarf Rangiku had used to stop her bleeding. "_I'll have to wash the blood out when I get home.."_ And then she realized that calling Rangiku out didn't obliterate her magic. In fact, she hardly noticed her magic deplete, maybe because she was so focused on not bleeding out, but still.. She felt as though she could easily do another summoning. _"It feels as though every time I summon a spirit I can hold the next one out for longer.. Granted their power is the biggest factor but I could only hold Kenpachi for 2 minutes.. I held Wonderweiss and Rangiku for 10x that."_ She then started thinking about Rangiku again, the look on her face when Lucy was placed in her gurney at the hospital. She didn't head back into her world until after Levy and the Trimens arrived and she knew Lucy was stable. It was really sweet, what a wonderful spirit..

It was nightfall by the time the team arrived in Magnolia. Everyone decided to make a quick stop at their houses to clean up and change before heading to the guild; which was as boisterous as ever.

"LUCY!" A drunken Cana pounced on the blonde right as she walked through the door, the rest of her team was already there. "H-hey Cana!" Lucy winced a little, she still had a healing incision site, she'd have to see Wendy to speed up her recovery process – was she even back from her mission yet?

"We just got back today too!" Cana was gesturing to Bacchus and Macao, who were both already drunk at the bar. "Oh! Has anybody else made it back yet?" Lucy was now looking around, the mission they were all given could have taken anywhere from a few days to maybe even a few weeks. Minus Laxus', his should have taken 10 years..

"Oh yeah, Laxus and his team are back too, guess they came in yesterday!" Cana was looking around now too, trying to point said team out.

"Yesterday?! What?! What about the 10 year mission?!" Lucy was beyond shocked, a 10 year mission accomplished in 3 days?! That was just insane!

"Yep! Though we don't know anything about their mission, they won't talk about it.." Cana was scratching her head, not wanting to think too much, it might kill her buzz.

"Lucy!" Levy was now waving and approaching the girls. "Hey Levy, so how was your mission with Gajeeeeeeeel~" Cana was draping her arm around Levy and poking her side, eye brow raised suggestively.

"Stop it Canaaaaaa, that's so embarrassing.. You know he can here you.." All three girls were now looking to Gajeel, whose face was covered with his hands as Lily was stifling his laughter.

_Oops.. He heard.._

Levy was now bright red and both girls began poking and laughing at her.

"S-s-so anyways, Lucy! How's your wound?" Levy was trying to change the topic and direction of the conversation onto someone else, it worked.

"You're injured?!" Cana's smile dropped, she was now eyeing Lucy up and down.

"It's no big deal.. Just a few stitches.." Lucy was really getting tired of everybody making a big deal out of nothing.

"She punctured an artery, she almost bled to death!" Levy was giving Lucy the, _don't act like it was nothing _look while simultaneously lifting her shirt and showing Cana the cut and sutures, it was still fresh and red, with some severe bruising traveling all the way up to her ribs and under her breast and then down towards her hip. There was some minor tissue damage as well, she was lucky her spirit got her help as quickly as she did.

"Holy shit Lucy! That's definitely a big deal!" Cana's outburst was attracting unnecessary attention to their direction, Lucy was trying to pull her shirt back down but Cana and Levy were both holding it up and slightly pulling her shorts down to see just how far the bruising went. _Ouch.._

"What happened Lucy?" Freed was now approaching the girls, then he caught site of her wound. "Oh my.. Lucy, have you been to a doctor?!" Freed was now in the midst of it with Cana and Levy, lifting and pulling at her clothing trying to get a better view of the damage.

"Freed I'm fine really, I already saw a doctor an-"

"Chick! What the fuck happened?! You a magnet for trouble or what?" Laxus was now next to Levy, assessing her bruising and making sure it was blanchable by pressing into it.

"Woah.. That looks painful Cosplay Queen.. Are you injured anywhere else?" Bixlow was now fully lifting her shirt from the other side, checking for bruising on her right.

"What's going on, woah.." Bacchus and Macao were now staring at Lucy's bruising.

"Lucy, Master wants to-" Erza, Gray and Natsu had just walked out of Makarov's office giving him some details about their last mission. Only to walk out to Cana and Levy holding Lucy's limbs in place as Cana, Laxus, and Bixlow were lifting her shirt and partly exposing her bra and Freed and Levy pulling her shorts down, slightly exposing the frills of her lacy underwear. Bacchus and Macao were just standing by and watching the show. Lucy was blushing so furiously her temples were pulsating.

"…"

"…"

"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING TO LUCY?!"

In a matter of seconds the guild was in a full blown brawl with Lucy sitting atop a table; tears streaming down her eyes. Happy was patting her thigh, "it's okay Lucy, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.." Sympathy and unshed tears were in his eyes. "NOTHING HAPPENED HAPPY!" Lucy was pulling her hair.. Oh how everyone loved jumping to conclusions..

"Lucy, I need to speak with you, it's urgent." Makarov was standing outside his office on top of the stairs. The fact that he didn't even bother breaking up the fight had everybody so curious they simply stopped fighting on their own.

"Oh, okay, should I have my team with me?" Lucy was nervously glancing to Natsu, Erza, and Gray, hoping she could have them in there for support. "No Lucy, just you. This is a private matter. Actually, Laxus, would you mind joining us? This actually concerns you too." Lucy and Laxus shared a quick glance before both giving the Master a firm nod and heading up the stairs. The guild grew quiet.

* * *

"Please, Laxus, shut the door behind you." Laxus did as he was told and took the seat next to Lucy, both mages were intently focused on their Master.

"It's about all these high class missions that have been coming in lately." Makarov gave both blondes a glance to ensure he had their undivided attention. "Lucy, the demon on Laxus' mission suddenly disappeared soon after he and the Raijinshuu arrived. It was as though it lost interest once realizing who came after it. I also spoke to Bob from Blue Pegasus, the S-class demon from their request did the exact same thing. In fact, every team that has been dispatched on their missions hasn't been able to complete their assignments because their demons keep disappearing."

Lucy was now looking to Laxus, he briefly made eye contact then was looking back to Makarov, Lucy did the same.

"Lucy, not only have all their demons disappeared, but your team says they were able to fight the demon once he realized you had the keys. And that on your walk to Dawn City you were ambushed; and the S-class demon of that group was after you." Makarov was giving Lucy a very intent gaze. She began sweating, almost panicking a little.. Her team's suspicions were right, the demons were after her and her keys.

"Your team believes the same thing I do Lucy. Those demons are after you, and you alone. They want those keys back Lucy."

"Then what should I do master? I don't want everybody getting hurt because of me.." Lucy had tears in her eyes, she really hated feeling like this.

A heavy hand found itself on top of Lucy's head; when she followed it's owner her eyes landed on Laxus.

"Don't be upset chick. It's our duty as mages to keep the people safe, and if those demons want those keys back this badly then they plan on doing something a hell of a lot worse than what they're doing right now. Besides, we might protect the people as mages, but we protect each other because we're Fairy Tail. You're one of use chick, we stick to our own." Laxus gave Lucy the same cocky grin he always threw out when he knew he was right.

"Thanks Laxus.. But that doesn't make me feel any better about you guys getting hurt.." Lucy was twisting her fingers and looking to her lap, she was playing with the scarf Rangiku had given her again.

"Laxus is right Lucy, whether it's from any other guild or Zeref himself, we protect our family. Besides, if they get those keys back then something terrible might happen – we can't allow that. I've been in contact with the gentleman from Seven who sent the request for us to destroy the demon and get the keys; I asked him to look into his books and scrolls for anything useful pertaining to the keys. He has a whole team looking into it and has yet to find much of anything; just jibberish.. There's no real knowledge in this world about either of them. We must keep them safe, no matter what. So Lucy, my dear, my child, I must ask this of you." Makarov had jumped from his place on the desk and was on his knees in front of Lucy, head bowed.

"Please, will you please guard those keys. Protect them with your life and I swear to do everything within my power to protect you as well. You're the only one who can answer this riddle Lucy, there's so much more to those keys than any of us realized, and we put all our faith and hope into you." Lucy was speechless; she looked to Laxus who was intently staring at her as well, waiting for an answer.

"Yes Master, I will guard these keys for as long as I live." Lucy's tears completely disappeared. Not only was she putting Fairy Tail in a dangerous position, but they were putting her in one as well; and she would gladly accept it.

"Thank you Lucy, we're counting on you, as I hope you can count on us to help you through this journey. I've personally asked Laxus to keep an eye on you, just know if there's ever anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask." Makarov was now standing as Lucy and Laxus both stood to leave, passing glances at each other one more time before heading back to the guild.

"Thank you master, I'll keep that in mind." Lucy gave Makarov one last smile before she and Laxus walked out his office. And boy was the guild as loud as ever.

Bixlow and Bacchus could be heard at the bar gushing over something as Cana was laughing hysterically. Levy was also by the bar with Gajeel, Natsu, Gray, and Erza. In fact, everybody was around the bar, and all the men were blushing. Laxus and Lucy shared a sideways glance before making their way towards all the commotion, and then she spotted it. Strawberry blonde hair.

"MAAAAAAASTEEEEEEEER~" Rangiku flew through the crowd and tackled Lucy onto the floor, skillfully maneuvering a 180 degree aerial move so Lucy landed on top of her – she was still injured after all; then she flipped her over, straddling her from on top. "Lucy! My Master! I've come to check on you!" She was now on all fours directly above Lucy, their breasts smashing together and noses practically touching.

Noses started bleeding. Bacchus and Bixlow started howling. Even Laxus couldn't stop staring.

She could smell the alcohol coming off her spirit, oh yeah, she was wasted.

"Rangiku! How did you get here?!" Lucy was too stunned over the fact that she was here to even be bothered with their position.

"Awwwww, didn't you misssss meeeeee~" She was now smashing Lucy's face into her cleavage.

"Lucy! Your spirit sure can drink!" Cana came wobbling up, apparently she'd been keeping her spirit company while she was in with the Master. "I could sense you were in an important meeting, so I didn't want to interrupt!" Rangiku was now sitting up, proud of not interrupting Lucy's briefing.

"Rangiku, I'm happy that you're here, but _how_ are you here?" Lucy was now sitting up and looking at Rangiku curiously.

"Hmmmm, well, I was back at my barracks and kept thinking 'I hope Lucy's okay, I wish I could visit her, if only I could get back to her world' and then I felt it. It was like the door between our worlds wasn't fully shut, so I pushed through with a little reiatsu and here I am! And on my own reiatsu at that!" She had her hands in the air and a smile on her face; her chest bouncing a little with the movements.

"WIIIIILD!"

_"The door didn't close.. I don't get it.. We both agreed it was time for her to go back and she did.. I don't understand.." _And then it clicked. Lucy looked to her right hand and a light bulb went on in her head.

.

.

_The scarf..?_

* * *

**What does Matsumoto's scarf have to do with her gateway?! All those S-class, SS-class, and 10-year missions have yet to be completed, their only goal is Lucy!? Looks like she's gonna need some powerful summonings coming up! XD**

**And if any of you felt her battle was really short, it's because the demon wasn't even S-class; which is also why a captain wasn't summoned. Another summoning in the next chapter!**


	11. Chapter 11: Shinigami Shenanigans

**Woah.. My longest chapter as of yet! Thank you everyone for all your support! The follows.. Reviews.. Favs.. *tear* I LOVE YOU ALL! And I have a surprise for all of you!**

**Are you guys ready for this? Drum roll please! **

**.**

**.**

**There are TWO summonings in this chapter! Tadah! :D**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

"Rangiku.. I think it's because I have your scarf." Lucy was now looking at said scarf in her hands – washed and ready to be returned to its owner.

"My scarf?! Really?! Awww.. And here I thought we had a deep and meaningful connection.." Rangiku was pouting with a light blush dusting over her cheeks. _Oh yeah she's wasted._

_"Wait.. Why is she able to crossover? She's clearly here on her own power; my magic hasn't been touched, but.. How?"_ Lucy was now staring at the pink scarf in her hands. Her Celestial Spirits were able to come on their own power if they were strong enough, like Loke and Virgo; but the same rules shouldn't apply to her other two keys, they were from a different world for crying out loud. _"Maybe she'll know.."_

"Lucy, is this the spirit who helped you out in Matza Valley?" Erza was now standing next to Lucy, pulling her out of her internal ramblings and cautiously eyeing her spirit. "Yes Erza, she saved us a_nd_ brought me to the hospital!" Lucy chirped, excited to be introducing her spirit to her teammate. "Rangiku, this is Erza Scarlet, Erza, Rangiku Matsumoto!"

"It's very nice to meet you, and on behalf of my team I'd like to thank you for saving Lucy and everyone else." She had her hand extended to the spirit; which she dove right past and pulled Erza into a face-to-chest hug instead. "Any friend of my Master is a friend of mine!" Natsu and Gray were now approaching, holding back their laughter, _Oh Erza, how the tables have turned.._

"And I'm Natsu! This is Happy! I'm Lucy's best friend! Thanks for saving her, if there's anything I can ever do for you make sure you let me know!" Natsu had a prideful smile on his face. Rangiku just stared for a little while.. _He reminds me of someone.._

"I'm Gray, Lucy's _better_ best friend." Gray was snickering.

"Yeah?! You pickin' a fight ya damn Stripper?!" Natsu's forehead was now bunting Gray's, fists in flames.

"What are you gonna do about it Sparky?!" Gray's fists were now shaped into ice spiked balls.

And chaos ensued.. Pulling half the guild into the fray.. In typical Fairy Tail fashion.

_I could swear I've seen this somewhere else before.._ Rangiku was still watching Gray and Natsu go back and forth with each other.

"Hey Cosplay Chick, why don't you introduce us to your spirit?!" Bixlow had both hands on Lucy's shoulders from behind, slightly bending over with his tongue hanging out. "Spirit! Spirit! Spirit!" _Damn creepy little dolls.._

"And by 'us' you mean _you_ right?" Lucy was giving him a pointed look. _They really need to stop ogling her spirits.. But then again she really couldn't blame them.._

"Master, you look uncomfortable with the guy in the helmet hanging over you. Shall I get rid of him like I did the demon?" Her smile was way too sweet and innocent for the words that just leapt out of her mouth.. Bixlow slowly began backing away, hands off Lucy. She couldn't help but laugh.

"No, no Rangiku, Bixlow's a friend.. Though he is pretty weird.." She was now giving him a playful smile. He returned with one of his own and a signature wag of his tongue and laugh._  
_

"And don't call me Master, please call me Lucy." She was now smiling at Rangiku, who responded by jumping on her again.

"Matsumoto-san! I'm so glad you came back! Thank you for everything last time.." Levy was blushing a little, as Lily flew up and landed on her shoulder. "Oh! This is Lily! Lily, this is Rangiku Matsumoto, she saved us!" Levy had just clapped her hands, she was just as enthused as Lucy to have the spirit back around. Right then Gajeel walked up, "Gajeel! This is Ran – oh you already know. Matsumoto-san, this is Gajeel Redfox, he's also a part of our team!" She now had an arm wrapped around his in an extremely friendly manner. Gajeel looked down to their connection and smiled slightly. Rangiku definitely noticed this.

"And you two are dating." She was pointing a finger at Levy and Gajeel, causing Levy to let go of Gajeel's arm to furiously wave her hands, "Oh no, we're only friends. Very good friends.." She was now rubbing her arm and looking down in embarrassment, blushing again. Gajeel was also blushing a little and scratching his temple. Oh how Rangiku loved to spice things up.

"And you're not dating because..?" She now had an eyebrow raised while Lucy had both hands over her mouth, fighting the bouts of laughter wanting to come through. Even Lily was enjoying the extremely awkward moment, and he usually wasn't one for such situations or any gossip for that matter.

"S-so anyways! Ahem, Matsumoto-san! You have to tell us about where you come from! The Gotei 13 right?" Levy had successfully changed the subject. Rangiku gave her a flirty smirk and a raised eyebrow before conceding and allowing the little bluenette to change topics, the way they acted it was only a matter of time before all innocent gestures turned into long nights – especially with the aura the big guy with all the piercings gave off.

"Well I'm actually from a place called Earth, very similar to yours. I'm a spirit in my world, a Shinigami as you already know. I live in Seireitei, which is in the Spirit World within my realm. I don't know if you guys have anything similar like that here." She was now looking to Lucy who was intently listening.

"Well, we do have a Celestial Spirit world, that's where all my other keys live; well except for my Arrancar key, and-"

"Did you say Arrancar key?" Rangiku was now fully facing Lucy, all playfulness gone.

"Yeah.. I have both keys." Lucy was confused; didn't Rangiku know she had both keys? Didn't Ukitake tell her everything?

"I didn't know about an Arrancar key.. Lucy.. Have you called on that key yet?" Her eyes were serious, and full of concern. Why was everyone so worried about her Arrancar key? Both times she used it both spirits were perfectly sweet.. Well.. To her and her friend's at least.

"I've already used it twice.. What's wrong Rangiku? You seem upset.." Lucy was now a little concerned, was there something so wrong with using her white key?

"And they didn't try to hurt you?" Rangiku was boring into Lucy's eyes, much the same way Natsu did when she left the hospital.

"No, they did everything within their power to help me.." Lucy had an eyebrow raised. _"I see.. So the Arrancar are under the same rules we are. They can't hurt Lucy; in fact they're obligated to help her. I guess she should be fine." _Rangiku was zoning out, lost in thought.

"Rangiku, is there something I need to know?" Lucy had snapped the Shinigami out of her thoughts. "Huh? Oh no! It's nothing! Nothing at all! The Shinigami and Arrancar don't exactly.. Agree.. But as long as they're not trying to hurt you everything's fine!" She was smiling and patting Lucy's head, she didn't want the girl to hate the other key for her reasons; if the Arrancar were protecting Lucy then she should call on them as well – by all means.

"Lucy, is this your spirit – oh hello young lady! How are you this evening! Can I get you a drink?!" Makarov came stumbling down the stairs, face red, eyes sparkling, and steam coming out of his ear. _Oh master.. So shameless.._ Even Laxus face palmed.

"Uhh.. Master, this is one of my Shinigami spirits, Rangiku Matsumoto, Rangiku this is our Guild Master, Makarov Dreyar. Oh, and the blonde man over there is his grandson Laxus Dreyar; he'll be accompanying me a lot more often now." Lucy gave Laxus a quick smile as he gave Rangiku a head nod in greeting then smiled at Lucy. Rangiku went into naughty mode once again. "And you two are dating?" She was pointing to Lucy and Laxus.

Laxus spat up the beer he was currently drinking and Lucy moaned in horror; what was it with all her girlfriends – and spirit friends – always trying to create a love life for her.. Levy and Gajeel were snickering as Happy's eyes glossed over. _"Don't you dare say it fur ball." _Cana was cat-calling, screaming something about black and red lace.. Which got Bixlow going.. He probably remembered what Natsu pulled out of her bag on their first mission together.. "_God please just strike me where I sit – end it."_

Rangiku was mentally patting herself on the back. This world was way too much fun – it was so easy to rile everyone up. Most of her friends back at Seireitei were so serious and only focused on training; well except a few who would drink with her.. But meddling in love lives hadn't been this fun in a long time!

"Eh-em, it's very nice to meet you Miss Matsumoto, and on behalf of Fairy Tail I'd like to thank you for keeping our Lucy safe." He was now patting the Celestial Mages head, bringing her out of her embarrassing thoughts to give the old man a smile. "Miss Matsumoto, is it okay if I ask you a question?" Makarov still had his friendly smile in place, perfectly polite.

"Yeah sure." Rangiku was now pushing herself up to a standing position and helping Lucy up as well. "How is it that those two keys came to be in our hands?" Makarov was looking straight at the spirit, all joking aside – this was business now.

"Honestly Master Makarov, I don't know details. I didn't even know until a few moments ago that Lucy had an Arrancar key.." Rangiku was now glancing at Lucy. "All I know is that somehow our worlds are connected through that key; and that any one of us who are called will be summoned for battle. That going against the key barer is not an option and causing her any harm or allowing harm to come to her is also not an option – and that we'd understand once we were here. Also under **no** circumstances are those keys to be brought back to our world." She gave Lucy a very serious look. "That's all I know; knowing the higher ups there's a lot of important information we've been left in the dark about. But I actually have a question that Kenpachi and Ukitake were curious about as well." Rangiku was now putting full attention on Lucy.

"Yeah sure, ask away." Lucy was now leaning against one of the tables as both Master and Rangiku took a seat. She was repeating what Rangiku just said about not letting those keys back into their world.. _I wonder why.._

"Why is it that we're compelled to obey you, and that any harm coming to you is like hurting ourselves?" Rangiku had wondered since she was first called. She knew she was currently in this world on her own reiatsu, and wasn't using any of Lucy's magic, but even now she still felt compelled to obey the little blonde girl.

"Hmm, well it's probably because that's how the rules in this world work. When a Celestial Mage calls on a spirit that spirit has to answer, so long as it's within the specified contract. That spirit is absolutely forbidden to harm and especially kill their master. They have to obey and fight alongside their current key holder." Lucy was pointing her finger under her chin with a thoughtful expression in place. She never realized this situation was odd for her Shinigami spirits, she was just so used to the rules with all her other spirits. "Basically so long as you're passing through a gateway a Celestial Mage has made, you're probably automatically tied down to those rules; at least that's just what I think.."

"No, that actually makes sense. Your world, your rules. I'm not complaining, and I don't think any of the men in the barracks will either.." Rangiku was coyly eyeing Lucy up and down, nodding in approval at her perfect curves, soft hair, and perfect face. Yep, the boys were going to love getting called on by her. Lucy couldn't stop the blush as she subconsciously tried to pull her shirt down more; even though everything was already covered.

"Good, good, this is good. We're already learning much! But let's not make this visit only about business, you've all fought hard these past few days, your drinks are on Laxus tonight!" Makarov threw his hands in the air with his silly face in place – wait for it..

"What the hell old man!?"

There it is. "Oh Laxus come now – your girlfriend and her spirit are thirsty! Go grab those drinks!"

"She's not my girlfriend!" Laxus roared as he stood to grab more drinks. He needed to double fist for the rest of the night after this.. Bixlow was jumping all over him as Freed was desperately trying to defend him. Evergreen was still sitting at her table completely hammered; _must be missing a certain Takeover Mage.._

"Master.. I really wish you wouldn't say things like that.. You know it's just embarrassing.." Lucy was covering her face with both hands as Rangiku was patting her on the head in a pretending-to-sooth-but-going-to-egg-it-on sort of way.

"Now now Master Lucy.. Sometimes love just needs a little push.." Rangiku and Makarov were sharing a devious glint in their eyes. _I'm going to have to visit this world more often._

"Hey Luce! Let's drink!" Natsu came flying over the table, just barely missing Lucy as Gray was now standing in front of both girls. Completely naked.

"Omg Gray! Put your clothes on!" Lucy was desperately trying to cover Rangiku's eyes, but this wasn't the busty Shinigami's first rodeo. "Oh Lucy, you're so busy trying to cover my eyes you've left yours wide open. Oh my, Master.. I didn't know you were like that.." She now had a hand playfully over her mouth in mock surprise.

"Hey Lucy! Can I borrow your underwear?" Gray was standing in front of Lucy, not even trying to cover up. Rangiku's eyebrows went up and eyes wide as she looked to Lucy. "Oh I see, so this is your boyfriend."

"I don't have a boyfriend!" Lucy now had tears streaming down her eyes; she could hear Aquarius laughing from the other side.

"But Luce I thought you were my woman?" Natsu had shoved Gray's face out of the picture and was looking at Lucy with child-like eyes. _How could anyone be so damn clueless ALL THE TIME?!_

"Natsu you have no idea what you're even saying!" Lucy was shouting now as she Lucy-kicked Natsu back behind the bar; startling Laxus as he was finishing pouring the rest of the drinks, the bar was self-service since Mira was still on her mission.

"Wow! Excellent kick Master!" Rangiku jumped up and admired the distance Natsu flew; _she packs quite a punch for such a little thing.._

Laxus came back beers in hand. Cana came wobbling back over with Bacchus and both challenged the spirit to a drinking contest. The Raijinshuu – minus Evergreen - were still poking at and/or defending Laxus as Gray was now looking for a pair of pants. Natsu was challenging Rangiku to a fight - so Master Makarov just smashed him into the floor. Everything was back to normal. Almost.

Lucy found herself in the back of the guild; thinking over her conversation with the Master. She had a lot on her mind, and a few more questions she was hoping to ask Rangiku; but it was fairly clear the spirit knew about as much as she did.

"Hey Luce, you alright?" Natsu came walking up, two beers in his hands and sat next to Lucy, handing her one. "Hey Natsu.. I guess I just wanted to get away from all the noise for a little bit and think." She was barely sipping her beer and staring at the floor.

"Is it about your meeting with gramps?" Natsu was now sitting next to her, taking a big drink of his beverage.

"Yeah.. It's just a lot to take in I guess." She was now taking bigger sips.

"Well, just sounds like we're gonna be a hell of a lot busier pretty soon! I can't wait to fight bigger opponents! I'm gettin' fired up just thinkin' about it!" His shoulders were literally on fire.

"Yeah.. I can see that Natsu.." Lucy was rolling her eyes but couldn't help but smile. Natsu was Natsu.. No matter how dense of an idiot he can be he was her best friend, and she wouldn't trade him in for the world.

"Luce.. You know you can count on us, right?" The Dragon Slayer had an expression that was way too serious for his usual mannerisms. Lucy just stared back into comforting onyx eyes as tears slowly began to build up in her own; he didn't realize it but in his own way he was telling her that no matter what everything was going to be okay. She smiled as she realized she had her friends and her guild – no – her family here. She would do anything to protect them and they've proven time and time again that they'd do anything to protect her too. Plus now she had some pretty powerful spirits; and it was comforting to know her Shinigami friends were literally waiting to be called to fight – heck Rangiku said they were making bets! She was a little excited just thinking about all the different characters she was going to meet.

"Lucy my child, is something bothering you?" Makarov had just approached the two sitting on the floor, they looked as though they were hiding from all the commotion coming from the bar.

"No Master." Lucy wiped her unshed tears and then looked to Natsu, a bright smile in place before looking back to Makarov, "Everything's a-okay!" She chirped and bounced, feeling refreshed and relieved all at the same time, _thanks Natsu._

She finally stood and perked herself up; she was suddenly eager to get started on some missions. "In fact Master, I'm feeling about ready to get started on one of those requests!" She was looking to Natsu now as he stood with a jump – excitement written all over his face. "Alright! Let's get started Lucy!"

"Yaaaay~ Let's get staaaaaaarted Luccyyyyyy!" A drunken Rangiku came tumbling down face first in front of the three mages. Happy was picking her up off the floor while the rest of the guild howled with laughter. Lucy and Natsu looked back to see Cana curled underneath one of the tables while Bacchus was on top in a downward facing dog position with his pants pulled down – apparently Rangiku won the drinking contest.. _She beat Bacchus?!_

Lucy sweat dropped and face palmed.. Well, looks like her spirits were unbeatable in any situation.. That's.. Good.. Right?

"Oooooooh Maaaaasteeeeeeer~ whyyyy aren't you dwinking wiff me?!" Rangiku was now slouched over Lucy's shoulder and dropping all her weight. The Celestial Mage was desperately trying to catch herself before falling, Rangiku was heavier than she looked.. Or maybe it was because she was dead weight now..

Lucy couldn't fight the laughter this time as it all came flooding out. She looked to her spirit who was lazily smiling back. "Rangiku, don't you need to go back to your world for anything?" Lucy was wiping a tear from her eye, she definitely liked this spirit.

"Whaaaa?! Noooooo.. who wantz to do paperwoooork.. Stupid shorty.. Captain.." She was jerking her free hand as if she were reprimanding someone. Then accidentally punched Natsu – shooting him out through the roof.

Lucy tensed and started waving her hand frantically as Makarov's eyes were bugging out of his head after seeing the distance Natsu flew, then slowly started backing away..

"Oooookay! I think it's about time you go home Rangiku!" Lucy was sitting her spirit on the floor as Gray, Bixlow, and Laxus began laughing; Erza was trying to determine the distance – that was one hell of a punch, and a sloppy one at that. Made them all wonder what she'd do sober and serious..

"Do I haaaaafto?!" Rangiku was hugging Lucy, thinking about the load of paperwork sitting on her desk she was avoiding.. And hoping her Captain would have just done it not knowing when she'd come back.. _Yeah right.._ But regardless Rangiku knew she had to go back. Her Reiatsu was starting to run low and she wasn't even sure how much longer she'd be able to stick around, especially drunk – she definitely didn't want to go back completely drained.

Lucy slowly started to wrap Rangiku in her pink scarf as she began petting her head in a soothing manner. Rangiku curled up on Lucy's lap and smiled, "Master.. Pwease call me out sooon. I like it here.." Lucy let out a little laugh as Rangiku slowly began to fade; "I promise Rangiku!" Lucy continued to pat her head until she had completely vanished.

"Alright Master, let's go look at those requests! I'm sure Natsu's fine." Lucy was brushing her hand in a don't-worry-about it fashion as she stood back up and headed towards Makarov's office. To her surprise Laxus had flanked her other side and was apparently joining them, _oh yeah he's supposed to keep an eye on me.._

"You sure you want to start on a mission already Lucy?" Makarov was giving her a concerned look, she still had a nasty wound healing after all.

"Yes Master, the longer these demons run amuck the more people will be hurt. If they want me to be the one to come after them then I'll come with everything I've got." Her stance was screaming fighting spirit as her eyes sparkled.

The three made their way to Makarov's office to look over the missions the previous teams were unable to finish, he slowly pulled out seven pieces of paper and threw one of them away, Lucy barely noticed it said Gallowstown on it.

"Alright then Lucy, I have six requests still needing to be filled. We'll save this one for last.." He had taken the 10 year mission request and placed it in his desk; she wasn't even able to catch a glimpse of it, and then he sprawled out five pieces of paper before her – three S-Class and two SS-Class.

"Alright then Lucy, if you wanted my input I'd say take the S-Class missions first. Your magic is becoming more and more powerful every time you use those keys, taking on smaller jobs would allow you to build up even more so when you get to these SS-Class's you can easily hold your gates open longer and with less time in between summonings. Working your way up in a sense.." Makarov was rubbing his chin as he watched her eye each mission.

As much as she wanted to get the bigger ones done and over with, she knew he was right. These demons wanted to fight her and she needed to be more prepared to handle SS-class and beyond demons. She slowly pushed the two SS-class missions to the side, which Makarov swiftly grabbed off the table – agreeing with her decision.

She was carefully looking at the three missions placed before her; one took place in some town she'd never even heard of – was it even on the map? Another near Mt. Hakobe and the last was near the Capital: Crocus. The demon's abilities didn't mean much to Lucy, her keys would sort out the specifics when she called on them and would surely handle whatever the demons threw at her. She was looking to Laxus who was eyeing the one near Crocus. She slowly placed her finger on it which caused Laxus to now look up to her, "This one?" Lucy was giving Laxus the option of choosing. He blinked a few times and shrugged – Makarov watched the small interaction and nodded. They'd decided on the mission Bacchus's team returned without much to report. They virtually knew nothing about the demon except the fact that people from Crocus and neighboring towns and villages had reported people were going missing. Makarov knew this request came in as an S-class, but it certainly bordered SS-class in his opinion.

"Alright we head out tomorrow, you still need to rest a bit more and that gives us time to pack. I'm sure you plan on bringing tweedle-dee and tweedle-dumb along with the red head, so go tell them what the plan is." Laxus was already walking out of the office, the demons may be waiting for Lucy but as the S-class mage he still planned on being team leader. Lucy wasn't arguing, she was still getting used to be so dependable, being team leader would have been a bit too much for her at this point. Lucy gave the Master a head nod as she grabbed the flyer and ran down the stairs, shooting past Laxus to look for the rest of her team – she doubted they'd let her do any missions without them.

* * *

The next morning Lucy was the first to arrive at the train station followed shortly by another blonde and then Gray, Natsu, and Happy. Erza barely made it before the train arrived; the Raijinshuu popped up but only to plead with Laxus to let them tag along – which he refused.

Lucy gave him a questioning look once they boarded the train, "We don't need that many people, and convincing them to not go is a hell of a lot easier than convincing them." He jerked his head towards the three mages boarding - Erza was giving the boy in charge of excess luggage a lecture about properly placing her items and Gray and Natsu started shoving each other and slamming the others head into anything solid. _Yeah.. He had a point.._

"Well it's a good thing we stayed quiet about the mission.. Otherwise Levy, Gajeel, and Lily would be here too.." Lucy was scratching the back of her head as she watched Gray and Natsu destroy two train seats.

Laxus had a look of disgust on his face as he watched the two already in destruction mode – and they hadn't even left Magnolia yet..

Once all five mages took their respective seats within their compartment, the train finally took off. Lucy was thinking she should look at the request paper as Natsu was in his traditional position on her lap with Happy curled up on his head. Gray snickering and Erza sitting across with her eyes closed – Laxus was staring out the window trying to look as unaffected by the motion sickness as he could.

Lucy was now pulling the sheet of paper from her pant pocket and looking it over. The reward was nice, 6,000,000 jewels, but there was literally no information on it about the demon. All it said was that people had gone missing and the general location. Actually.. Locations. So was the demon moving from place to place and killing unsuspecting victims? Lucy refolded the paper and looked to her team. Laxus, Natsu, and Happy had fallen asleep as Gray slowly began drifting; Erza still sat with her eyes closed.. _Maybe she was sleeping too._

The Celestial Mage laid her head back and followed her team's example – letting sleep take her over.

* * *

A few hours later the team arrived at the small town of Corona. It was small like Dawn city but with even fewer people, and the ones that were walking around seemed on edge. The sight of the mages walking through town sent a few villagers back into their homes, shutting and locking windows and doors. Well that was definitely odd.. The team thought they'd be more welcoming to mages coming into town to destroy the demon.

"Don't mind the village people.. A lots gone on these past few days.. You can't really blame them for being suspicious of newcomers walking around." An old man about the height of Makarov was now standing in front of the group of mages. Everyone shared a quick glance and then all attention was back onto the gentleman.

"My name is Lupe; I'm assuming you're here for the job request?" Lucy instantly remembered the name on the flyer; he was the one who sent the guild the request in the first place – the Mayor? Governor? Something like that..

"Yes we are. You sent the request in right?" Lucy stepped up before Laxus could ask him who he was and how any of that was his business – at least he looked like he wanted to say it.

"Yes my dear I am, you must be Lucy? Makarov called ahead and said you'd be coming." The mage was extending his hand out as Lucy took it and nodded at his question. "And this is Laxus, Natsu, Happy, Gray, and Erza; we're here to finally get rid of the demon for you sir." Lucy was politely smiling as Laxus gave her a pointed look and scowled slightly, she was acting as though she were team leader much to the Lightning Dragon Slayer's annoyance.

"Demons." The old man placed both hands behind his back as he gauged their reactions. Lucy flinched while Natsu and Gray got somewhat excited looks in their eyes. Erza remained expressionless and Laxus' scowl deepened.

"What do you mean _demons_? We were only requested to defeat one S-class demon." Laxus finally stepped forward, he was already annoyed with the situation, but this pushed him over the edge.

"I know.. And for that I must apologize.. But when I sent the request I wasn't sure there was more than one.." The old man was looking down now, a little ashamed and a little scared, Lucy didn't know if the fear was from the demons or if he was scared the mages would simply turn around and hop back on the soonest train home after the confession. Her eyebrows curved up into a saddened expression and she was about to touch the old man's shoulder in reassurance.

"Well sounds like we've got our work cut out for us! We better get started then!" Natsu placed his hand on Lucy's shoulder and stepped between her and Laxus. He'd seen the man's sudden change in disposition and wanted to say something before Laxus could.

"Match head has a point – better get started before it gets too dark." Gray had yet to move from his spot but was donning a cocky smirk as he ripped his shirt off. The old man casted a curious glance at the Ice Mage, "_Why is he taking his clothes off..?"_

"Gray.." Erza was giving him an icy glare as he quickly picked his shirt up from the floor and put it on backwards. "So what can you tell us about these demons?" Erza had now directed her attention to the old man.

"Well.. They're all different shapes and sizes.. They almost look like shrubbery. They literally grow from the ground.. You just never know where they're going to pop up from or when they'll attack next.." The old man was casting his eyes from side to side, as if he just remembered he needed to be on constant watch.

"Any specific locations they pop out from?" Erza was apparently taking the team leader position now, much to Lucy's relief and Laxus' irritation.

"Well.. They do tend to get bigger and stronger the deeper into the forest you go.. There's a large redwood tree in the center that's over 400 feet tall. The demons seem to be protecting it, not wanting any of the villagers to get near. The people from this town and the towns that surround the forest make a living from the resources there; every time someone goes in they disappear." The old man was now looking to the forest.

"Why wasn't any of this on the flyer? And why didn't you tell the previous team any of this?" Laxus was becoming more and more annoyed for every new piece of information the old man was giving that wasn't on the request.

"Because we can't afford to pay for an SS-class mission.. So we had to be vague on the flyer.. Plus the little demons only briefly attacked your three friends and then disappeared. Your friends wandered the forest but couldn't find anything - as if the demons disappeared." The old man was now looking down and again ashamed, he knew it was underhanded but he just didn't know what else to do. The other mages weren't able to find anything out either, Makarov had said Lucy would handle the situation.

"It's alright Gramps, we're Fairy Tail mages! We won't turn a job down for something as petty as money – don't even worry about paying us! Right Luce?!" Natsu was now looking to Lucy with a huge innocent smile as the Celestial Mage blanched slightly. _Actually Natsu.. I have rent I need to make.._ She began crying silent tears as Natsu and Happy now had her by the back of her shirt and were dragging her towards the forest. "Let's get started! Ready Happy?!" "Aye sir!"

"Well there you have it; we'll come back as soon as all the demons are dealt with." Erza now had a smile on as she followed after Natsu and Lucy, Gray close behind – shirt gone. Laxus' jaw was hanging slightly – he didn't work for free! He was Laxus Dreyar! He was now looking to the old man and ready to salvage the damage Natsu had just done when the words stopped in his throat. The old man was crying and hugging himself as he watched the mages head into the forest. Laxus suddenly lost the urge to demand his fair share of the reward despite the rest of his team and began working his way towards his group. He gave one last glance back as the old man was still crying and waving at the group with his handkerchief. _Damn.._ Laxus face palmed as he finally caught up to Erza and Gray.

The team had barely made it into the forest when the first wave of monsters came flooding out. They were simple enough, a little bit of fire.. Some ice.. Lightning here and there and a pinch of sword did the trick. Another wave came out but this time they were aiming for Lucy, she didn't even have to call on her keys, Loke suddenly appeared and handled the fight. "You really should be more vigilant my Princess, I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you." He was now holding her bridal style with an "I Love Lucy" hat on.

"Loke.. Where did you get that hat?" Lucy wasn't even trying to hide the distaste from her expression. "I made it myself Princess.. I hope it's to your liking.. I figured once we were married we could also-"

"Forced Gate Closure." Lucy was rubbing her temple now, refusing to acknowledge the looks of disgust from her team mates. "Yeah, I know, I know.. But he's my spirit, what do you want me to-"

And then a loud shrieking sound resonated throughout the forest. The team all shared a worried glance before huddling closer together.

"I think they were testing us.. Trying to see if the Celestial Mage was here." Erza was now looking to Lucy, "Now that they know she is they're gonna take us seriously." Lucy audibly gulped as she prepared herself for the screeching demon. Within seconds it came smashing through the young trees and instantly charged for battle.

"Ice Make: Shackles!" Gray shot his ice towards the demon's feet - locking it in vice-like restraints; noticing how the demon's body reacted to the freezing temperature. His branch-like legs began cracking as the creature desperately tried to shake the ice off, but the Knight had other plans. Erza lunged forward and snapped the already frail limbs in half with her sword as Natsu finished it off with a fire attack. These demons were weak against the elements - the team had somewhat of an advantage.

"Gray watch it!" Lucy grabbed her whip and pulled Gray away from a now charging boulder demon. A few more came running through the path it had just created and began attacking the now divided group. While Gray was using his ice attacks Lucy was working with her whip - pulling a few to the ground after being frozen over; causing them to crumble under their own weight. The teams had now completely split, Gray and Lucy began fleeing from another group of demons and sprinting in the direction they assumed the large tree to be.

"Erza! Natsu! Laxus! Meet us at the redwood!" Lucy was shouting in no particular direction; she'd lost sight of her teammates. Lucy could feel the static in the air as Laxus came crashing through the thicket, looking the pair over and making sure nobody was injured before walking ahead of the two.

"Laxus! We've split up from Erza and Natsu, lets-"

"I'll go in solo, you and Gray are more than capable of handling these demons. Besides, we need to find that tree, going in at different directions covers more ground." He shrugged and made his way into the forest until he disappeared. A few moments later a course of lightning came raining down and a good portion of the forest was leveled out.

"Well.. Laxus should be fine.. What's the plan Gray?" Lucy was looking to her partner, hoping he'd come up with some type of strategy since his ice seemed to be working the best; aside from Natsu's fire.

"Well, they're mostly elemental – like the trees and grass. Natsu's fire will work well and so will my ice. Erza's blade will take a little more work, I don't know if Laxus should have ran off.." Just then another bout of lightning broke the sky and caused the ground to violently shake as the smell of embers wafted through the air. Gray was sweat dropping as any worry he may have had about Laxus running off on his own was easily dismissed.

The pair made it out to a small clearing, almost meadow-like as Lucy caught a glimpse of the tree Lupe had mentioned earlier. It was absolutely huge – and beautiful. "Gray!" Lucy was pointing at the redwood peeking out from the tops of the trees. "Yeah I see it; at least we know were headed in the right direction." The pair was reaching the center of the meadow when the earth started to shake and split slightly. From every angle demons the size of the one they defeated earlier and even larger were charging them. Gray and Lucy instantly went back to back as they prepared for the fight headed straight towards them.

"Ice Make: Blizzard!" Snow was circling the entire area and freezing the first wave of demons, their tree-like limbs and foliage started to crumble under the temperature.

"Ice Make: Scythe!" Gray was now swinging his excessively large weapon – managing to break the frozen-over demons. It wasn't until then that they noticed the second wave of demons headed their way – some larger ones too. "Lucy! Feel free to jump in anytime!" Gray was starting to sweat at the intimidating sight headed their way.

"I thought you'd never ask! Open! Gate of the Death God!" Lucy had taken a step forward as she thrust her key, and a white light began slimming down into a form.

"**Sode no Shirayuki**" A rush of cold air immediately circled Lucy, stopping the demons on her side of the clearing in their tracks.

"**Next Dance**" The spirit was now puncturing the ground four separate times, making a sort of semi-circle directly in front of herself and Lucy. Ice particles were now floating above the small holes and gathering at the tip of her sword.

"**Hakuren.**" Ice shot out in every direction the Shinigami pointed her sword – not only freezing the entire second wave but the forest behind and any straggler demons as well. Gray was swinging his scythe around again and destroying the frozen over demons.

"Wow.. That was amazing.." Lucy was looking to her spirit now. She was very petite, and wore the same traditional black robes as Rangiku. Her hair was also very short and black; it cupped around her face with two bangs hanging over violet eyes. She also noticed the spirit's white sword, it was beautiful..

"So you must be Lucy." She was now looking to the Celestial Mage with a gentle smile. She had a very elegant charm about her – very polite. Lucy only nodded dumbly as she took in her spirits appearance.

"I am Rukia Kuchiki of the 13th Division. I see you need a little help." She was now looking past Lucy as a shirtless Gray was still working on freezing the other half of the field – and managing to destroy the rest of the attacking demons.

"Yes! Please! We need to find a way to get to that tree." Lucy was pointing at the large redwood as Rukia took the entire general direction into view – she was trying to come up with a plan as she was now rubbing her chin - she watched Gray shoot more ice from his hands and instantly got an idea. "Hmmm.. I got it!" Rukia's eyes brightened up as she smashed her right hand which was now fisted into her palm. "Okay, you! The ice user! Come over here!" Rukia was now pointing at Gray as he stumbled a little at her loudness. He turned around expecting a large woman only to be confronted with less than five feet of Shinigami. _Mighty Mouse?_

"Okay, so this is what we're gonna do." Rukia had now pulled a pad of paper and pen out from the inside of her robes and started writing something. Lucy and Gray shared a quick glance before Lucy just shrugged and leaned over to see what the spirit was writing.

But she wasn't writing.. She was drawing..

Rabbits..

Lucy and Gray sweat dropped.

"Ummmm.. Rukia.. Those are uhh, lovely rabbits but how does that help our situation?" Lucy was scratching the back of her head.

"Hmm? Oh! These are us! I'm going to show you guys my plan." Rukia was now adding small details to each rabbit while sitting on the ground with a smile, kicking her feet like a child. Lucy was now looking at her drawing and assumed the second tallest rabbit with pig tails was her.. Gray and Lucy sweat dropped again. Gray was face palming while Lucy felt she better say something..

"Rukia.. Couldn't you just tell us your plan?" Lucy was still rubbing the back of her head as Gray was rubbing his temples with his fingers – he could feel a headache coming on.

"But this will help explain it! Okay I'm finished!" Rukia jumped back up and had the pad of paper facing the mages, ready for presentation. "Okay, so I'm going to use my Hakuren one more time – creating an ice platform in the direction of the tree." She was pointing at a drawing of a small rabbit pointing a closed umbrella – oh wait was that her sword? Towards the tree in the picture. "But I don't think I'm going to be able to make the distance, so you." She was now pointing at Gray, "You will need to reinforce my ice with your own and continue the path. It'll become thinner and thinner the farther is stretches, so be prepared for that!" He gave her a curt nod as she then took in his whole appearance, "Umm, where did your pants go?" Rukia began fidgeting a little - clearly uncomfortable with the Ice Mage's lack of clothing.. _Is this the stripper Rangiku talked about?_

Lucy blanched at the sight as Gray was just giving her a questioning look, then looked down at himself - eyes bulging at the realization.

"Damn it Gray!" Lucy was trying to _not_ pull all her hair out in a mix of frustration and embarrassment. Gray was running back and forth looking for his pants. It was Rukia's turn to sweat drop..

"Eh-em.. So back to the plan.." Rukia was giving Gray a wayward look after he finally had his clothes back on, "Once you two are on the platform, I'll fend off any demons back here and make sure nobody sneaks up from behind." She now flipped the page showing a muscular rabbit fending off demons with X's for eyes. Apparently she was the muscular rabbit.. They then noticed the other two rabbits running through what they assumed to be her ice bridge towards the tree.

"Once I sense you've reached the tree I'll then head back to my world so I don't use up all your magic!" Rukia had flipped the page again and showed her flying away in the air as the other two rabbits were now standing next to the tree high-fiving.

Lucy and Gray sweat dropped yet again.. _She really should've just explained it.. If anything the drawings make it more confusing.._

"Any questions?" Rukia was now putting her pad and pen back in her robe as she drew out her sword again.

Lucy and Gray were just staring. _And here Lucy thought she was nobility or something.._

"Uh.. Umm.. No.. We're, uhh, ready whenever you are Rukia!" Lucy was giving the girl an exhausted smile as Gray was turned around, ready to start running.

"Alright! **Next Dance: Hakuren!**" Rukia had put her all into this one blast as she shot her ice out as far as she possibly could, keeping enough control of the ice to maintain a bridge structure - also slightly freezing the area's immediately in contact with her reiatsu. Lucy barely noticed the drop in her magic, it wasn't any worse than having one of her Zodiacs out – actually now that Lucy thought about it she could probably hold all her Zodiacs out at this point..

"Thanks Rukia! Your ice is beautiful!" Lucy was waving back and smiling at the Shinigami as she smiled and waved back in return. "Anytime Lucy! I'm glad you called me! Now I can rub it in Renji's face!" Rukia was now sticking her chest out in a gloating manner as she turned her attentions to another mass of demons.

_Who was Renji..?_ Lucy just shrugged as the two made their way through the ice. Gray was continuously maintaining the floor with his own magic as they were making their way towards the tree. Demons were screaming in anguish as the two mages closed in on the redwood; unable to reach them. The closer they got the more Gray had to reinforce the structure - slowly depleting his Ice Magic as they noticed the demons were becoming larger. _What could possibly be at the redwood?_

Gray and Lucy finally came to the end of the ice structure and right by the massive tree. Her spirit had really done an amazing job.. And just then Lucy felt the weight on her magic disappear – Rukia had gone back to her world as promised. _What a great spirit.._

"Uhhh.. Luce.. You might wanna call your Shinigami friend back here.." Gray had now taken a step back as Lucy was turning around, watching him slowly walk backwards. She looked to where his eyes were focused and started shaking as sweat began trailing down her brow.

The giant redwood was definitely in front of them. And it was _looking _at them. Gray and Lucy both audibly gulped as they shared a frightened glance. "Lucy. Rukia. Now. I need help!" Gray was waving his hands frantically trying to snap Lucy from her fixed stare. The tree was now uprooting itself from the floor as its two large branches resembling limbs came smashing down towards the mages. "Lucy!" Gray was ready to tackle her out of the way when she finally recollected herself and grabbed her keys.

"Right! Uhhh, Open! Gate of the Death God!" Lucy was desperately waving her black key while holding onto Gray as they both fell to the ground, ready for impact - until she vaguely heard something being said. A violent burst of ice shot up from the light; they didn't see it but they could feel the instant chill within the atmosphere.

Lucy and Gray both opened a single eye to see one of the tree limb branches completely frozen over, and then it snapped off from the impact of the ice attack. The tree began screeching as it stumbled backwards.

"Wow Rukia.. That was-" Lucy bit her tongue as she laid her eyes on her spirit.

"..."

"Do I look like Kuchiki to you? I can't believe I got dragged into this.." Gray and Lucy's eyes bugged out of their heads and their mouths fell open.

"..."

"Lucy.. Your spirits keep getting smaller and smaller.." Gray held an incredulous look as he looked at her new spirit - who was giving him a deathly glare back.

* * *

**I know you can all guess who her new spirit is! Yaaaay! I'd gotten a lot of requests for this one so I wanted to put him in sooner rather than later for all of you! And this is pre-time skip - Rukia is not the Lieutenant of the 13th Division yet, in case any of you were wondering.**


	12. Chapter 12: Ice Cold

**I'm not going to lie, I got some amazingly sweet reviews and I wanted to take a minute to let you all know how much I appreciate it. I just wanted to say thank you everyone! It's good to know I'm not disappointing anyone too much.**

**I had some good questions: Will I be adding romance - well I didn't want to in the beginning; mainly because I love Lucy and Hiro Mashima is lucky I don't own Fairy Tail because I'd want to pair her up with everybody! Sad.. I know.. So as of right now no. But that may change, I'm fickle.. And I don't have this story planned out. I write the chapters as they come to me and if I'm feelin a little frisky one chapter then who knows!**

**Second question: Will there be a Quincy or Vizard key? No Vizard key, they are technically Shinigami and once it's revealed how the keys were made it'll make sense why there isn't one. Will there be a Quincy key? I'm not telliiiiiiiiing XD**

** I personally had a lot of fun with this character, he's just so cute.. And mature.. And as badly as I wanted him to lash out I had to keep him in character.. **

**Enjoy~**

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"B-b-but you're just a child!" Lucy was pointing her finger at the white haired boy as he switched from looking at the Ice Mage to the girl with annoyance in his expression. His eyebrows were creased into a scowl as he rolled his eyes and turned back to the demon.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of the 10th Division. Next time don't hold onto my lieutenant for so long, do you have any idea how much paperwork I was stuck with?" His hands were now clenched at his sides as irritation dripped out of every word.

_So this is Rangiku's Captain..?_ Lucy was instantly impressed – Rangiku was so powerful on her own, and this young boy was stronger? How amazing..

"And I don't know what you lot gave her last night; but she's been out of commission all day!" Hitsugaya had slightly turned around to address the blonde when he noticed the look of affection in her eyes as she just stared at him.. Like an idiot.

"So cute.." She barely mumbled as Hitsugaya's look of annoyance turned to one of disgust. _I swear to God if she calls me child one more time.._

"You can't be older than 10.. Are you in Elementary school? You're so cute.." Lucy now had her hands clasped as she scooted even closer to the boy. A vein popped from his temple as his anger slowly started building

"Can I call you Little Toshiro?" That did it.

"You will address me as Captain Hitsugaya!"

"Pffft…Captain?! You can't be a Captain! That's a job for adults little tyke, you should run along now and go grab Rukia – we need an _adult_ who can wield ice." Gray was sitting cross-legged on the ground, shooing him away with a hand gesture.

Hitsugaya had fully turned around, gritting his teeth as he was about to address the idiot man on the ground; then he was suddenly gone.

Lucy's right leg was still in the air – just finishing one heck of a Lucy-kick.

"Don't talk to my spirits like that Gray! If he says he's a Captain then he's a Captain! You will show him respect since he's here to help us! And if the key summoned him over Rukia then he's clearly more than capable of handling this situation!" Lucy's fists were clenched in the same manner as Hitsugaya's as her face became red from anger. Nobody was going to disrespect her spirits, not with her around.

Hitsugaya's irritated look switched to one of surprise as he looked at the blonde girl again. People didn't usually stand up for him, he had to take their comments and insults with a grain of salt to not destroy half of Seireitei – heck she looked more pissed than he was.

"Thank you Lucy. Your kindness is much appreciated. Now I am to understand that I'm under contract to defeat this.. Tree..?" Hitsugaya was giving the tree an odd look – trees run around in this world?

"Oh, yes.." Lucy had now put her foot down as Gray was stuck handling the demons charging from the forest again; seems how Lucy managed to send him flying right in the middle of them.

"It's not a tree though, not really.. It's a demon. A very large demon; and those smaller demons you see charging are trying to protect it for some reason.." Lucy was pointing at the demons Gray was now finishing off as Hitsugaya spared a quick glance. Clearly if the demons were so frantic to keep the tree safe it was of great importance – he instantly deduced that destroying the tree would more than likely have a detrimental effect on the smaller demons.

Just then the tree shot one of its roots into the ground, causing another miniature earthquake; small shrieking noises could be heard. _What was it doing?_

A minute later more demons came running through the thicket, shrieking again. _Was it summoning – or – creating demons?_

Gray came trotting up to the pair, annoyed that the midget had yet to do anything to the tree; especially after watching it possibly create a few more demons. "Step aside small-stuff, I'll handle the big demon. Why don't you take care of the little ones – they're more your size." Gray was about to walk past Hitsugaya when the Shinigami grabbed his arm.

"Please stand back – I'd _really hate_ to get you caught up in this.." The sarcasm in the boy's sentence didn't escape Gray as he began gritting his teeth. Lucy was about to punch him in the head when a sudden drop in temperature stopped her in her tracks.

"**Sit Upon the Frozen Heavens: Hyorinmaru.**" A huge ice dragon came shooting out of the Captain's blade, circling around the tree once and then smashing into its face, knocking it to the ground. The ice continued its path down towards the embedded root; causing it to snap off once the demon was completely parallel with the ground.

Lucy's eye's held amazement while Gray only lost composure for a second, _so the boy could wield a little ice, huh? _There was no way in hell Gray was going to let some kid outdo him.

"Oh yeah? I can do that too!" Gray was now standing next to Hitsugaya as he removed his pants; the demon was slowly starting to stand back up.

"Ice Make: Lance!" A series of lances came shooting out of Gray's hands as they smashed into the demon's trunk, not quite piercing it but still throwing it back to the ground. Gray threw a cocky smirk at the Captain as he simply raised an eyebrow, barely masking his look of revulsion. _Why did he take his pants off..?_

Hitsugaya casually stepped in front of Gray again, closing his eyes to rid himself of the Ice Mage's pantless presence and pointing his sword towards the tree demon. Without even muttering a word he shot out 5 more dragons as they completely swarmed all 400 feet of the tree. He then pointed his blade to the ground allowing a wave of ice to span out and freeze every demon attempting to attack the three as well as halt anymore efforts the tree might make to summon more demons by creating a thick sheen of ice that completely covered the floor. The ice Gray had used in his attack was now being combined with Hitsugaya's as everything within sight was now frozen solid in place.

Gray sweat dropped. _Did he just use my ice..?_ He gave a wary glance to the Captain as he now had his back turned to the Ice Mage. _He's not even gonna gloat..?_ Gray began scratching the back of his head. _Who was this kid? Is he really even a kid?!_

"Alright, I'll give it to ya. That was _kinda_ impressive." Gray now had his arms crossed and was looking off to the side. A vein popped from Hitsugaya's temple as he rolled his eyes at the imbecile unbuttoning his shirt. _If I was stripping down I wouldn't garner so much attention to myself.._ _What a strange place.._

Lucy gave Gray an annoyed glare. "Gray, I swear to God if I have to remind you about your clothes one more time in front of my spirits.."

Hitsugaya was looking to the girl's exasperated posture as his expression softened a little. The woman was okay, especially since she recognized undressing in public was indecent and was quick to reprimand the ice idiot..

A popping and cracking sound could be heard as the three turned back around to where the demon tree was. Cracks could be seen in the ice surrounding its trunk as its branches broke off from the weight of the ice. The remnants shattered and the demon howled; a second later another chorus of screeching and howling could be heard from all over the forest as a small earthquake began. Apparently it had summoned, or created, more demons than the group originally thought..

"I think you just pissed it off.." Gray was taking a step back now as he began looking from side to side, still trying to put his pants back on. The tree was now standing back up and smashing the frozen remnants of the smaller demons around it. The ground began to shake yet again as the unfrozen trees behind the ice began uprooting themselves; even more demons similar to the ones they'd been dealing with also came running out.

"LUCYYY!" Happy came flying in carrying Natsu as Erza broke a couple frozen demons before joining the group.

"Lucy! Gray! Are you guys alright?! We saw the ice attacks." Erza was looking at the mages until her sights fell on the boy. "Oh, umm, hello, little boy. What would your name be?" Erza was now giving Hitsugaya a curious look as he began clenching his fists again.

"Lucy what's with the kid?" Natsu walked up to the Captain and began patting his head. "Hey kid, it's gonna get pretty dangerous around here. Sure you wanna stick around?" Hitsugaya gave him an exasperated glare through gritted teeth as he fought the notion to freeze the pink-haired boy's arm off.

"Natsu, Erza, this is Toshiro Hitsugaya. He's the one who froze everything over, he's here to help!" Lucy was gesturing the entire area that was now covered in ice with a proud smile.

"Wow.. That's very impressive. Well, we can use all the help we can get." Erza gave Hitsugaya a small smile as she requipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armor and began readying multiple swords. "Ready when you are Captain." Erza's expression was all seriousness and ready to get down to business.

Histugaya instantly liked the red-head. He was also slightly curious about her armor, _where did it come from?_

"But he's a kid?" Natsu's arms were crossed with an eye brow raised. "You sure he did all this?" He was now looking around the area – clearly not believing the boy managed that much damage.

"Don't question my spirit Natsu!" Lucy was now standing in front of Hitsugaya, defending him. "He did freeze everything!" Lucy had her hands on her hips in frustration.

Hitsugaya liked Lucy too. Why did the women of this world seem to be the only ones with a brain?

"Oi, who's the pipsqueak?" Laxus came crashing in the center with a loud booming sound as his magic slowly dissipated – leaving smoke and embers where he'd landed; the ground looked as though it had just been struck by lightning.

"My name is not kid. Nor is it boy or _pipsqueak_. I am Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya. I've worked hard for my title and I would much rather be addressed as Captain Hitsugaya." He was clenching his fists again and closing his eyes – trying to calm himself down.

Laxus, Gray, Happy, and Natsu all shared a look. Then began howling with laughter.

"C-C-Captain?! Oh man! That's a good one kid!" Laxus was slapping his knee; Natsu was clutching his sides with Happy collapsed on his head while Gray was wiping a tear, "I know! I said the exact same thing!"

All four continued to laugh for a few more minutes. The demons all stopped and glanced back at the redwood tree – clearly confused. Why were they laughing so hard? Weren't they aware of their situation?

The redwood just stared at the group of mages as they laughed for a couple more seconds, if it's branch-like limbs hadn't snapped off it probably would have shrugged. Then the atmosphere dropped a few degrees.

Lucy and Erza were about to step in when Hitsugaya put his arm up, halting both women mid-step.

"If they don't believe I'm a Captain that's fine. The only one that matters here is Lucy Heartfilia – which she believes in my abilities." He gave Lucy a quick glance as she gave him a smile. "And her red-headed friend is okay in my book too." He gave Erza a quick glance as she smiled back as well.

"You three however." He was barely giving the three mages a look. "Are on your own."

Then they noticed the sudden drop in temperature – and stopped laughing.

"**Ryojin Hyoheki.**" A solid ice barrier surrounded the girls to protect them from the onslaught about to come. "You two should be safe from the temperatures in there." Hitsugaya took a few steps ahead of the wall and walked past the rest of the mages – who were all casting him curious glances and giving each other one as well.

The tree was shrieking again – signaling to all the demons to attack. Hitsugaya didn't even flinch; he simply jumped into the air and began floating upward.

"**Bankai.**" Ice began flying from his sword to himself, starting at his right arm – forming a dragon's head. It then continued up his shoulders creating two large wings and a tail down his back. It continued down his left arm and feet into claw-like structure. Three ice flowers could be seen floating above the boy.

"Is he flying..?" Laxus was staring at the boy floating in the air with amazement. Gray, Happy, and Natsu were completely shocked – mouths hanging open. The three had seen Harribel flying but obviously doubted the boy's abilities; this was a whole new experience for Laxus.

"**Tenso Jurin.**" The weather was suddenly overcast and was easily below freezing. Natsu, Happy, and Laxus were shivering as Gray was taking his clothes off yet again.

"Not now Gray!" Laxus smashed his head into the ground – the guy really needed to get a clue..

All the demons were once again not moving as they all slowly froze over. In fact – the entire forest was freezing over as icicles began to form and snow began to lightly fall. Did the spirit just make it winter? All the mage's eyes were wide with amazement and Gray's jaw was hanging open from his place on the floor.

Lucy was now sitting on the ground. Summoning him took up a good deal of magic, but this new power he was using made it so she couldn't even stand. Hitsugaya looked back to the girl a little worried. He did like the Celestial Mage. Rangiku wouldn't stop raving about her and even Ukitake seemed rather fond of her. Kenpachi sang her praises for.. Err.. Other reasons.. But none the less she was perfectly polite and respectful. He would end this quickly to not harm her further, he preferred testing his opponents out and maybe come to a peaceful arrangement; but it was clear these demons were mindless brutes only seeking bloodshed.

"I will end this now. **Hyoten Hyakkaso**." The sky suddenly darkened a little more and the clouds began swirling in on themselves. A hole began to form and a larger amount of snow began to fall directly over the giant tree. Ice flowers began forming all over the trees body – creating a pillar of ice.

"Once the last petal falls the tree will no longer be living. Such is the nature of this technique – I prefer not to use it with my Bankai but I wanted to end this quickly. Everything within a 7 mile radius should be completely frozen over; but don't worry, any natural forestry will defrost within a few days. The demons however will succumb to the cold." Hitsugaya was calling his Bankai back to his sword as he began to resheath it over his back – lightly floating back to the ground and cancelling the shield around the girls. The Dragon Slayer's and Happy were huddled near the ground trying to maintain as much body heat as humanly possible, both beginning to sneeze as their noses began to run.

Gray had put his head down in defeat. Too humiliated to even get off the ground or make eye contact with the spirit - _he'd never live this one down._.

Though Hitsugaya didn't outwardly show it, he was feeling rather smug. He didn't even give the other three a glance as they all stared at him like gaping idiots – while freezing their asses off. _Serves them right._

Lucy was fighting for her consciousness. He'd used multiple attacks plus his Bankai; it took a lot out of her - especially considering she'd summoned another spirit previously who was also relatively high on the power scale. She was fighting the urge to black out when a small hand found her shoulder.

"Are you alright Lucy?" She looked up into big turquoise eyes that held a hint of concern. _Maybe he'd gone a little over-board.._

She smiled at his worry, "Yes Captain Hitsugaya. Thank you for all your help – you're amazing!" Her eyes were glazed over again; she couldn't help the fact that all she wanted to do was hug him to death.

"Ouch! Ouch! Okay! Okay!" Erza was standing directly behind the three mages and Happy; forcing them into a bowing position in a straight line. "Say it properly!" Erza was smacking all four again as she shoved her boot down Gray's back.

Yep. Hitsugaya _definitely_ liked the red-head. He couldn't help the small smile that pulled at the corner of his lips.

"We're sorry! We're sorry!" Gray and Natsu had tears in their eyes as Laxus was fighting the aneurysm threatening to burst. "Yeah yeah, whatever, sorry." Laxus practically spat the words – earning him a boot in the back.

"Ouch! What the-! Alright, I formally apologize _Captain Hitsugaya_." Laxus' apology was laced with sarcasm but the Knight knew that was as good as she'd get from the Lightning Mage and slowly let off on the boot. The Dragon Slayer's were still slightly frozen over; Laxus wasn't currently in the state to fend the violent Knight off – besides he swore to never hurt another guild mate.

"I'm so sorry your imminence! Please forgive our stupidity!" Happy was bowing up and down like crazy as tears flew from his eyes. He didn't know what was worse – being frozen over or having Erza behind him.

"You're definitely a better ice user than the Stripper! There's no question about that!" Natsu had now jumped to his feet – smile on his face. "Let's fight!" He was now charging the boy as Erza grabbed his scarf – stopping him mid-stride.

"Look at Lucy! Do you think she can handle another fight! Besides, you wouldn't last two minutes Natsu!" Erza was slapping his head as she threw him to the ground. But then he suddenly remembered Lucy – these spirits weren't easy for her to call.

"Luce!" Natsu and Happy were running over to the girl as she was now only holding herself up with her hands on the ground.

"I will take my leave now Lucy." Hitsugaya gave her a small smile as she radiated one back at him. "Thank you so much Captain! Tell Rangiku I'll try to call her out again! Oh! And tell Rukia thank you for everything!" She barely finished her sentence as Hitsugaya vanished, nodding his head in acknowledgment.

"Who's Rukia..?" Natsu was giving Lucy a curious glance as she waved him off. "The spirit I summoned before him." Erza, Natsu, and Laxus' eyes went wide with surprise. "You managed two summonings?" Erza was holding her shoulders looking into her face.

"Yep! Both were pretty awesome too. Even the kid I guess.." Gray was mumbling something under his breath; apparently he didn't like being outdone by a spirit that resembled a child.

"N-Natsu.. C-Can we go now.. I'm f-f-freezing!" Happy was curled around Natsu's neck as both girls began to shudder as well. His barrier kept them safe initially but now that it was gone they got the full impact of the cold. The group casted a quick glance to the tree, it was no longer moving or resembling a monster as the final petal fell. All the demons were crumbling in on themselves as well – guess the tree was maintaining their power; without it they were just plants again. _No wonder they were protecting it._

The team managed to find its way out of the forest; Lucy was on Natsu's back as he managed to make his skin a personal furnace for the Celestial Mage, she was already worn out, she didn't need to freeze on top of it. Once they got to the town they were surprised to see all the villagers outside. The children were running and laughing, playing with the falling snow that still lingered from Hitsugaya's attacks. Even the adults were looking much brighter than usual – then Lupe came running up to the group.

"Fairy Tail! How did you fare?!" The little old man's eyes were bright with hope as the towns people were now holding the same gaze, looking to the group as well.

"Done and done!" Natsu chirped as Erza and Gray gave a head nod and a smile. The towns people began to cheer as Lupe was once again crying, hugging Erza and kissing her hand. He even kissed Laxus' hand – much to his annoyance.

"Please, oh please, there must be something we can do for you?! You've done so much for us!" Lupe was on his knees, he felt awful sending in a less-than-truthful request but to not pay a penny for what should have been SS-class? There had to be something he could do..

"Don't worry about it old man! Just remember Fairy Tail mages are happy to help!" Natsu began walking past the old man with Lucy still on his back.

"Wait! Lucy! Is she alright?" Lupe was chasing after the Dragon Slayer now, a little worried for the blonde.

"Don't worry, she's just a little worn out. She used up a lot of magic." Erza had placed a hand on the old man's shoulder and was now pointing to the sky.

The old man's eyes went wide as he realized what the Knight was telling him. She was the one who caused the sudden weather change?! Incredible..

"Don't worry about the weather either, it's supposed to fade within the next day or so." Gray was now walking past the old man, finger in his ear and annoyance still laced in his expression – clearly pissed he wasn't the cause of the snow storm. Laxus snorted at the Ice Mage's mood as he walked past the old man as well – straight to the train station.

"Oh please, Sirs.. Madams.. Please stay the night in some of our rooms.. It's the least we can do for our rudeness earlier and you saving us all.." Another elderly couple was approaching the group, gesturing to a quaint little inn right next to the train station. There couldn't be more than five rooms in the place and was probably only managed by the pair.

"It's really not necessary.." Erza was now looking to the couple, not wanting to impose and since they didn't get any reward money they couldn't exactly afford a room..

"No, please, we insist. No cost! Free food and your tickets back home will be covered to!" Lupe was now standing next to the couple – he must've planned on at least paying some of the expenses. The group shared quick glances with each other – clearly unsure.

"Please.. Lucy looks like she could use a hot bath, a warm meal, and a soft bed." Lupe was now patting Lucy's arm as she gave him a smile. _All the above really did sound amazing.._

Erza, Gray, and Laxus all looked around at each other and shrugged. "Alright, but just so you know these three might eat you out of business." Erza was jerking a finger at Gray, Natsu, and Laxus as she walked towards the inn. The townspeople looked ecstatic – Lupe finally felt a little guilt slip away as the group took him up on his offer.

* * *

Erza and Lucy decided to share a room as the three men plus Happy took the largest. Erza insisted on Laxus being the mediator for Gray and Natsu – just because the town offered everything free of charge didn't mean destroying the only inn was okay..

"How are you feeling Lucy?" Erza was sitting on the side of Lucy's bed – they'd both already taken a bath and eaten, all that was left now was a good night's sleep.

"I'm okay.. Just tired.. I'm glad we decided to stay, I really needed to sleep." Lucy was turning in her covers to face Erza as she smiled.

"Lucy I can't believe you already managed two summonings in a single day. You've really improved – I wouldn't be surprised if you were in the S-class exams next year!" Erza's eyes began to sparkle as she imagined Lucy as the next S-class mage; they could go on as many S-class missions as they wanted. She'd definitely never have to worry about rent again. Lucy laughed at the idea, her? S-class? Maybe if she could call out Captain class spirits without fainting every time..

"We'll have to see about that one Erza.. Maybe when I'm a little stronger.." Erza gave her a small smile, she knew better than anybody how much the girl underestimated herself. But she had plenty of time to get stronger. A few crashes followed by Laxus' yelling could be heard next door, then a loud thunk that made the room vibrate. A pair of heavy footsteps then made their way across the floor and the sound of weight being dropped on a bed could be heard – finished off by an even heavier weight dropping on the other bed. _Sounds like Natsu and Gray were put to sleep.._ Lucy sweat dropped as Erza nodded her head in approval before jumping into the other bed and shutting off the light.

* * *

The group decided to head out early, they wanted to be back at the guild by noon; especially since it was still very cold outside and none of them had packed for a snow storm. Gray was still very irritable the next morning.. And the train ride home.. And after they got to the guild.. Apparently the little ice spirit left quite an impression..

"Ahh! Here you all are! How did it go?" Makarov was standing at the guild's bar, waving the group in as some of the commotion somewhat died down while 'hello's' were being shouted throughout the crowd.

"Hello Master. The mission was a success; the demon has been dealt with." Erza came walking in ahead of the group, pride in her declaration as more cheers ensued in the guild.

"Well then this definitely confirms it.." Makarov was looking at Lucy again, "They're definitely after Lucy. Looks like you've got your hands full child – there's still five more requests for you to fill!" The Master was giving Lucy a smile as she began nervously fidgeting, all eyes were on her again..

"By the way Gray, you seem rather upset, everything alright?" Gray was standing at the back of the group – still sulking. He didn't even bother picking any fights with Natsu on the way in.

"Oh don't mind him, Popsicle's feelings are hurt 'cuz some kid showed him up in ice magic." Natsu was giving him a sarcastic grin.

"Alright! That's it!" Gray lunged towards Natsu as fire and ice exploded everywhere. Laxus' scowl only deepened as he made his way towards the Raijinshuu. "Let me know when you're gonna pick the next mission." He gave Lucy a pat on the head and a smile – earning one back. "Wooo! Get'er Laxus!" Cana could be heard shouting through the guild as Bixlow started cat calling.

"Shut the fuck up!" A very irritated Dragon Slayer was covered in static – eyes turning yellow.. _Somebody didn't get much sleep the night before._

"Woah.. Don't get'er.. Don't get'er.." Cana had her hands up in an I-give-up gesture as Laxus brushed past her. She laughed nervously before approaching Lucy. "So how did the mission go? You guys were able to beat the demon?" The Card Mage was now sitting next to Lucy and Erza.

"Yeah, it was the redwood in the middle of the forest." Lucy was considering jumping the counter and making herself and Erza strawberry milkshakes; looked like the Strauss' weren't back from their mission yet.

"The redwood?" Cana's eyebrow shot up as Macao was approaching the girls as well.

"You guys sure?" He had the same confused look as Cana.

Erza and Lucy shared a quick glance, "Err.. Yeah.. It was the demon creating all the smaller ones.." Lucy was fidgeting in her seat as Erza was now leaning in. Did they miss something?

"Oh.. Hmmm.. That's odd.." Cana was scratching the back of her head as she shared a curious glance with Macao.

"Okay, what are we missing?" Erza was leaning towards the pair, apparently something was off.

"Well, it's just; when we investigated the tree was, well, a tree." Cana now had her arms crossed as Macao was leaning against the counter; facing the three girls. "It didn't have any magical presence – or any of that 'curse' power we've heard so much about.." Cana and Macao were gauging the girls' responses.

"So you're saying when you guys went into the forest – you didn't sense anything?" Erza had an eyebrow raised.

"Well we were attacked by a few of the little guys, but that's it. Didn't you guys notice that once you defeated all the smaller 'demons' that they just turned back into their harmless plant selves? No trace or essence of magic left?" Macao was scratching his head.

Erza and Lucy were looking at each other again as realization dawned on them. They were right, after Hitsugaya froze the redwood over; all the demons did crumble and return to their previous state. Even the redwood keeled over and acted as a tree that was simply destroyed in a violent blizzard.. But what about all the curse power it fought with? How it created all the other demons? Didn't that make it the S-class demon?

"Hmmmm, maybe the redwood was just a puppet. The real demon manipulated the forest into coming to life by inserting its energy and forcing it to animate." Makarov had been listening in the entire time. Taking in everything Cana and Macao were saying. "Maybe it wanted us to think the redwood was the S-class demon."

"But Master, why would it do that?" Erza was confused – it was true the forest turned back to normal after the snow storm, but why would the demon do that? Why wouldn't he come out and attack on his own?

"I don't know Erza, maybe it was testing you, us, or maybe.. Lucy."

All eyes were now looking to Lucy as she began to subconsciously play with her key ring. "I don't understand.. Why wouldn't it attack when I was all worn out then?" Lucy was fidgeting in her seat, the idea of a powerful demon lurking in the shadows, watching her and waiting to strike had her on edge.

"Maybe it was intimidated.. Either by your keys.. Your team.. Maybe it wasn't in the area." Makarov was rubbing his chin again – every possibility going through his head.

"Should we go back?" Erza was looking to Makarov now, she wasn't too sure what the best course of action was at this point.

"No, if it was in the town it would most likely have attacked or made itself known. If you want my opinion it probably wanted to see if Lucy was really capable of wielding those keys or not. As to why – I'm not sure.." Makarov was patting Lucy's hand, trying to reassure her. He was beginning to think all this tension was going to give the girl a heart attack.

"Hey what the hell?!" A booming voice shouted at the doors of the guild. A very angry looking Gajeel, Levy, and Lily came charging up to the small group at the bar.

"You went off without us Lu-chan!" Levy had her hands on her hips, a cute little scowl that almost looked menacing – if Levy could ever be considered menacing.

"Lucy, we don't care about the reward money, but at least let us know when you're going off on missions. We thought we were all in this together." Lily had jumped onto the bar and was looking Lucy right in the eyes, arms crossed.

"Yeah what's up Bunny girl?! I told ya I owe ya! Don't go off getting yourself killed before I pay ya back!" Gajeel had slammed his fist on the counter, staring Lucy down since Levy was doing a pretty pathetic job at being intimidating.

"I'm sorry you guys.. I guess we didn't really think about it.." Lucy had both hands in her lap, looking a little embarrassed at not being considerate of the three. She was so focused on getting the mission done and keeping the team to a reasonable size that she never considered leaving them would potentially hurt their feelings.. Or cause them to worry about her..

Levy smiled as she now placed both hands over Lucy's, "It's okay Lucy.. Just next time don't go running off without us.. We worry and we want to be with you through this. We've been around since the very beginning – we plan on seeing this through with you!" Levy's smile reached Lucy's as a light blush tinted her cheeks. There was no arguing how lucky she was; she really did have the best friends in Fiore.

"Good, I'm glad you have lots of dependable people Lucy, there seems to be a lot going on that we don't know about – it's better to have more friends than enemies at this point. I trust you all to keep an eye on her." Makarov was looking to the seven at the bar, glancing at Laxus with the Raijinshuu and then at Gray and Natsu, they'd all stopped what they were doing to listen in at the bar after Gajeel's dramatic entrance.

"So Lucy, feeling up for another mission?" Levy's eyebrows shot up and a playful smirk tugged at her lips.

"You bet, how about first thing tomorrow?!" Lucy was smiling at the script mage now as Gajeel and Lily both had confident smirks. Laxus and the Raijinshuu had now approached the group at the bar – he'd heard everything Erza, Lucy, Cana, and Macao had discussed. A little pissed at himself for letting something so obvious fool him. "Let's go pick the mission chick." He was thrusting his thumb towards Makarov's office as the Master had jumped down from the bar and was walking towards the stairs. "Alright!" Lucy jumped from her seat with everyone following her. Apparently they were going to pick this next mission as a group. Or caravan.. Their group just continued to get bigger and bigger..

* * *

"_Me Lord.. What did you think of the Celestial Mage?"_

"_She was.. Adequate. At least she can summon the keys."_

"_Shall we get her now me Lord?"_

"_No. We wait. Until she can maintain those gates or summon both keys simultaneously."_

"_Will you be creating anymore S-class demons for her and her team?"_

"_Maybe.. But for now it seems some of the other demons have other.. Plans.. We'll just wait and see how this plays out."_

"_Very good me Lord."_

* * *

**A demon that can make S-class demons?! And what does he want with Lucy? Dun dun duuuuuuun :D**

**I'm almost a quarter of the way into my story! Yaaaay! We need more summonings! And our favorite characters to make multiple appearances. And we need a strawberry to come in and save the day! Oh when will Ichigo ever come?!**

**Yes I'm holding out on certain summonings, you guys will understand why when they're finally summoned. Lucy can only hold these gates open for so long, do we want 5 minutes of Ichigo? I think not!**

**Did anyone else notice the mentioning of S-class exams? XD**


	13. Chapter 13: Emotional Turmoil

**Another question: Can Aizen, Gin, or Tosen be summoned. I've said this before, no one, and I mean NO ONE is safe from my crack summonings.**

**This chapter is VERY DIFFERENT from all my others. But I needed to breach on it at some point, nobody can go through what Lucy is without some feelings. Especially a character like Lucy who tends to undermine herself.**

**Also, I received A LOT of requests for this character. Not just in comments, but a few PM's were thrown my way - I have to say I've had more requests for this character than any other (even Ichigo). So I was actually very relieved because I had something special planned for this - especially since it is my all time favorite Bleach character.**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

Lucy was making her way back to her apartment – their team couldn't decide on a mission.. And she was way too tired to argue with anyone and decided to just pick one out tomorrow. She was eager to get as many done as possible, but she needed a break every now and then as well; so she decided to just take the next day off and pick the mission then. She was leaning towards the Mt. Hakobe request since Makarov hadn't heard from the Strauss' in the last day or so; but all the other teams had taken a day or two for some much-needed vacation time before heading back to the guild to report their findings – everyone assumed Mira's team was doing the same. The GMG's hadn't just resulted in Fairy Tail's business, but the other guilds as well – everyone deserved somewhat of a break.

Lucy considered calling Plue out but was relishing in the quiet – it had been a few weeks since she'd had any alone time, she almost missed the days where she just lounged at the bar with Mira and patiently waited for her friends to come back from their missions. Everything was much simpler then..

"Careful now Lucy! You're going to fall into the water one of these days!" Lucy was waving at the fisherman who greeted her regularly; it was nice to be back in Magnolia.

She slowly opened the door to her apartment, asking herself if she should eat first or take a bath; had she ever appreciated alone time this much before?

"Hey Luce! What took ya so long?" Lucy's eyes snapped to the refrigerator. Happy was sitting on her counter eating a raw fish while Natsu was digging in her fridge.

"Oh there you are, we were about to go looking for you." Gray came walking out of her bathroom – clad in only a towel and brushing his teeth. _Was that her toothbrush…?_

"Lucy! We've come to stay with you. We don't think you should be alone from this point out." Erza had just requipped into her pajama's and was walking out of Lucy's bedroom; saving her place in the erotic novel she wasn't even attempting to hide.

Lucy was about to say something when a knock sounded at her door. She slowly turned around and debated whether to even open it – unfortunately she didn't get the choice as it swung open on itself a second later.

"Lu-chan! We've all decided it was best to stay with you!" Levy was walking into her apartment now, arms full with ice cream, snacks, books, magazines, pillows, and a sleeping backpack slung over her shoulder. _Was she moving in..?_

"Oi Bunny girl – I call the couch." A grumpy Gajeel came strutting in with Lily close behind – looking as though Levy forced him to come with.

"I already called dibs on the couch!" Gray had swiftly removed his towel, ready to fight Gajeel for couch rights.

"Holy shi- Dammit Gray! Put your fuckin' towel back on!" Gajeel was now covering Levy's eyes as Erza side-kicked the Ice Mage back into the bathroom. Lucy had yet to move from her spot at the doorway entry – tears were trying to fight their way through.

"I call Lucy's bed! Come on Happy!" Natsu was running full force into Lucy's bedroom, Happy tossing the remnants of his fish onto the floor, "Aye!" following after the Dragon Slayer.

"Hey no fair! I'm sleeping with Lu-chan!" Levy was bum-rushing towards Lucy's room, ready to challenge Natsu for bed rights.

"I prefer to sleep with Lucy as well. I'll only feel comfortable having her safe within my bosom at night." Erza was following closely behind Levy as Gray came rushing out of the bathroom, "We had the option of sleeping in Lucy's bed?!" Then ran into her bedroom as well.

Lucy had still yet to move from her spot on the floor. The tears were free-falling now.

Gajeel and Lily were watching the Celestial Mage from the corner of their eyes as she was still attempting to take the situation into comprehension. Gajeel snickered a little as Lily shook his head – feeling a little sorry for the blonde.

"Hope you don't miss your privacy too much, gihi." Gajeel had dropped himself onto her couch, removing his boots and clearly making himself comfortable while Lily propped himself on one of the arm rests.

"Oi, got anything to eat?" Lucy slouched to the floor in defeat. Might as well accept it – they weren't leaving and it was only going to get worse once Wendy and Carla, heck even Juvia, were back.. _God forbid Gray be in her apartment without Juvia around.._

After a light meal, a quick bath, and refusing to change; Lucy found herself lying awake in her bed. How in the hell could anyone sleep with their face smashed into Erza's chest and Levy spooning them from behind? Natsu was curled up at the foot of her bed with Happy like some sort of dog and Gray was half on the bed – half on the floor. But of course the only portion of himself, his legs, that were on the bed had to be draped over Lucy. She could even hear Gajeel's snoring from her couch.. If that wasn't enough she couldn't stop the million different thoughts racing through her mind. Everything was so sudden, happening so fast.. She couldn't keep up with all the events with these keys and the demons after her. Their discussion earlier at the guild definitely didn't help her already stressed state, she couldn't help but wonder "_why me?" _She internally sighed and attempted to turn but Erza's vice grip made that impossible; anytime she felt her mind slow down and sleep ready to take over Gajeel would either snap her awake with a particularly loud snore or Gray would fidget.. _This was going to be a long night.._

* * *

"Pick a mission yet chick? Woah.. What happened to you?" Laxus had jumped back at the horribly unkempt sight of the Celestial Mage. She had bags under her eyes that rivaled the oldest of hags, they looked like they were getting darker and darker by the second..

"Don't ask." Lucy had placed her head in her arms on the counter – she was definitely taking today off.. Maybe sneak away from the group that was still hovering close by and get in a little siesta..

"Lucy, are you alright?" Makarov was approaching the girl, was she attacked the night before? She looked like hell.

"Yeah.. Never better Master.. Never better.." A yawn escaped as she lazily turned her head to peek at her Master. He shared a curious glance with Laxus as they both shrugged. The rest of her team looked well rested..

"Well my child, I think its best that you take the day off." Makarov was giving Lucy a pitying smile as she shook her head from her place on the counter, still wrapped in her arms. "I know your team hadn't decided on a mission yet but I'm going to go ahead and send you to Mt. Hakobe, I haven't heard from Mira yet and she hasn't answered her Lacrima.."

Lucy perked up and was looking at Makarov, both she and Laxus had somewhat worried looks. "Come on! It's Mira we're talkin' about, she's fine." Cana came walking up, draping an arm around Laxus and stumbling a little. "Besides, I'm likin' all this self-service!" Cana hiccuped as she reached over the bar, attempting to refill her mug before Laxus grabbed her and took her cup away. "You're cut off."

"Whaaaaa?!" She was desperately reaching for the cup well above her head as Makarov watched the display with little interest, still lost in thought about Mira and her team.

"Master.." It was Lucy's turn to provide some comfort to the old man. She was patting his hand as he briefly smiled at her. "Go take a day Lucy, you've earned it." Makarov patted her hand back as he jumped from the bar counter top, walking back to his office as Laxus followed – cup still in hand.

"Jerk.." Cana was watching him walk away with distaste as she pulled her back-up cup from her bag.

Lucy slowly stood and made her way to the door, "I'm gonna go take a walk Cana, I'll see ya around." She was smiling and waving to her tipsy friend as Cana watched in confusion, still filling her mug. Hadn't Lucy just gotten there?

"Luce! Where ya going?" Natsu was chasing after Lucy with Happy hovering over head as the rest of her team stood to follow.

"Just a little walk guys.. I just need to think a little bit.." She waved their concerns off as she slowly walked through the doors. Her team all shared an awkward glance as they watched their friend disappear.

* * *

She was making her way to the grass hill she and Capricorn had trained on over a week or so ago now. She was taking in her difference in ability, how much she'd changed in just over a few weeks. She sat down cross-legged as she remembered Capricorn's instructions – and instantly created a sphere of magic. Holding it for as long as she could.

She'd lost track of time, truthfully she'd lost track of everything at that moment - she hadn't felt this relaxed in what seemed like ages. She let the weight of bearing the keys and taking responsibility of the demons temporarily disappear as she concentrated on her magic. She hadn't even noticed the presence that had been keeping an eye on her for some time now. She slowly allowed her sphere to vanish as she finally took notice of her company.

"That was excellent Lucy. Do you have any idea how long you held your magic like that for?" Capricorn was now looking down at Lucy as a light blush dusted her cheeks; she was embarrassed she'd completely missed him passing through his gateway. She _must_ have been tired.. She shook her head no as he removed his sunglasses.

"Lucy you were in your trance for almost two hours. That's four times longer than what you managed not two weeks ago. The rate of which your magic is increasing is astounding – those keys have exponentially improved your endurance." Capricorn was putting his sunglasses back on as Lucy was standing, brushing any dirt and grass off her shorts.

"I felt like I could hold it longer.." She was taking in the sight of Magnolia now, it was quiet from her spot – she wasn't quite ready to head back to the guild and stared at the city lights for a few minutes in silence

"What's troubling you Lucy? You usually don't stray from your friends like this, especially knowing how worried they are about you." Capricorn was now standing next to Lucy, arms behind his back taking in the sight with her.

"It's just a lot going on Capricorn. And all so fast.. It's hard to keep up with everything. I mean, a month ago I was the little blonde mage in Team Natsu that barely lifted a finger, and now I'm the Celestial Mage every demon in Earthland wants to get a piece of.. It's just different." She was looking at Capricorn through the corner of her eye, waiting for him to respond.

"You know Lucy, you were never just a 'little blonde on Team Natsu', you've always been great, and always had the ability to become greater. You've long since surpassed your mother and any other Celestial Mage; the only thing holding you back is your own self-doubt. It's always been your greatest weakness and will continue to be as long as you allow it. Just remember Lucy, we're only ever given what we can handle and nothing more. You, my dear, were meant to have those keys and face this challenge, at times you may feel alone, but have courage. We are all behind you no matter how far ahead of us you may walk, and your friends at the guild are as well."

Lucy smiled as she took his words in, then suddenly turned to hug him. She was relishing that she didn't just have her family at the guild, but her Celestial Spirit family as well. She was never alone, never would be alone, she just needed to remember that and work on her own courage - kick herself into first gear. She did doubt herself, more than anybody else. She really needed to work on that.

"Thanks Capricorn.. You reminded me of my mother a little bit, I feel like that was something she would have said." She was rubbing her eyes and smiling as she thought back on memories of her mother as Capricorn began patting her head, successfully snapping her from her thoughts.

"It's time I headed back now Lucy, you should also head back to the guild; you wouldn't want your friends to worry too much now would you?"

Lucy smiled again as she nodded and started to lightly jog down the grass hill, turning to wave at her spirit but he'd already vanished. She was feeling surprisingly refreshed, a little meditation went a long way, and she wasn't feeling drained at all after holding her magic. She replayed Capricorn's words in her head as she thought back on last night's events with her friends – they really were worried about her, and truly did care.. She slowed her jog to a walk after entering the city. A few of the people waved and greeted her, she'd become pretty well known after the games, and then she spotted Gray running a few yards away.

"Gray!" She was waving her arms trying to catch his attention; he immediately stopped and ran the distance between them.

"Luce! Where have you been?!" He was bending over trying to catch his breath, was he running all over Magnolia?

"Sorry Gray.. I was up in the hills outside Magnolia again.." She was scratching the back of her head, feeling a little bad about his clearly distressed state, _was she really making him worry so much?_

"No time to explain, let's go." He was grabbing her hand and running full speed towards the guild, not allowing her to ask any questions even after their arrival as he slammed the doors open.

"Found her!" Gray was pushing through the gathered crowd at the bar, every guild member had arrived and even a few members from the other guilds were there – must have just gotten back from their missions, err, vacations..

Makarov was standing on top of the bar counter with his Communication Lacrima from his office. He was giving a deadly look to whoever's face was presently there.

"Lucy.. This call.. Is for you.." Makarov gave Lucy a pained look; he clearly didn't want to give her the Lacrima, but for some reason he had to. She slowly walked towards her Master with Natsu coming up right beside her, Erza and Gray flanking her other side with Happy flying overhead. Makarov turned so she could see the face in the Lacrima – it was a demon with its face completely covered. But how..?

"Is this the little Celestial Wizard runnin' around killin' all my friends?" He was most likely smiling under his bandanna, ignoring the glares from the four mages next to her and the exceed; all his focus was on Lucy - she flinched a little at the realization.

"Well – since you've killed, mmmm, lemme see.. Daemon.. Gladius.. Oh and Ignem. Well, this should just about even things up, eh?" The demon stepped to the side to show Mira, Lisanna, and Elfman tied crucifix style to three separate pillars in the background; all three a bloody mess and completely unconscious.

Lucy blanched at the sight.

"Wha?! H-How did you?! How could you?! Let them go! Let them go right now or I swear on my life you'll be sorry!" Tears were pricking at Lucy's eyes – she was becoming overwhelmed with a frenzy of emotions.

"Actually doll.. You've killed some lesser demons as well.. You're lucky I don't give two-shits 'bout 'em. I should just kill these three right now." And to emphasize his point he shot a needle-like structure from his arm, right into Mira's thigh as she flinched but remained unconscious. Lucy could feel the bile burning at the back of her throat as a sudden wave of nausea hit her.

"YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" Gray and Erza were holding Natsu back as he attempted to grab the Lacrima. Everyone in the guild varied in emotions at the sudden image. Mira was S-class, Elfman and Lisanna weren't push overs either.. How could a single S-class demon manage this? Was this maybe the demon that created the giant redwood? But that doesn't make sense.. Why would he become so desperate now?

"What do you want." Lucy had her hands clenching down on the bar as she cast her eyes to the floor, she couldn't look into the Lacrima any longer – it was too much to bear. Makarov was fighting tears as his eyes became blood-shot and his face red.

"You." Everyone looked to Lucy. Some shocked, but the others who were in on the latest developments expected it.

"Alone. No one is to come with you. Bring the keys. Only then will I let these three go."

"How do I know you'll keep your word." Lucy was now looking back to the demon, glaring daggers. If only looks could kill..

"Lucy.. No.. You can't.." Levy had tears in her eyes as Cana was holding her shoulders. She wanted to be the voice of reason, let Lucy run off to a demon for some deal with no guarantee the demon would keep his side of the bargain? Bad idea. Cana was shaking her head no, pleading for Lucy to say the words.

"Think about this Lucy.. He could be lying." Erza now had a firm grip on her shoulder; she wasn't willing to let Lucy run off either. Gajeel and Lily had come up behind Erza, nodding their heads – agreeing with the Knight. There was no way he'd just let them all waltz away after getting the keys, they wanted Lucy _dead_, that much was clear.

"No way. I'm coming with her!" Natsu growled at the Lacrima. Gray was standing next to him with his arms crossed, silently saying he was going with her too. Happy had landed on Lucy's shoulder, hugging her head to let the demon know she wasn't going alone.

"No. She comes alone. I so much as catch a whiff of anyone with her; I'll kill 'em three on the spot; and come after her anyways. I'm really offerin' ya a grand deal." Lucy felt her stomach churn as Levy began crying, this was quite possibly the worst situation any of them had ever been in.

The Celestial Mage was torn; she knew the demon probably wouldn't keep his word, she wanted to listen to her friends and stay safe and secure here in Magnolia. She knew if she went he'd most likely kill her then the Strauss siblings before taking her keys – but what else could she do? Nothing? Just let them die? She tried weighing her options but realized she had nothing to bargain with, and really no other choice. She began gritting her teeth – she wasn't ready for any of this.

"Alright." Lucy barely spat the words out. Trying her best to maintain her composure – she didn't want the demon to know how scared she truly was, "Deal."

"Lucy no!" "You can't Lucy!" "Think this over Lucy.." "It's a trap!" "I'm going with you!"

"STOP IT!" Lucy was fighting back tears as the guild slowly went silent, not wanting to miss out on the rest of the conversation. "When and where."

"Tomorrow. Mt Hakobe. Directions will be left for you at the train station. Don't show 'n I kill 'em. Got that?" His eye was taking up the Lacrima – still staring straight at Lucy.

"Why not tonight? How do I know you'll even keep them alive!" Lucy hadn't expected him to wait til the next day, and the Strauss' needed help _now._

"Cuz I'm gonna make it so I know for a fact yer comin' alone. I aint stupid girl, don't think I don't know yer friends are gonna try 'n come with ya. Hear that Fairy Tail? I'll know if any of you are within a 50 mile radius of my location, and if that happens they die. Period. I'll also know if anyone tries to come tonight. Besides, if I killed them what would keep you from just usin' one of those keys on me once you get here? They'll be alive. Got that girly?"

"I understand.." She was looking down again, knuckles white from clutching the bar so hard. She had secretly hoped he wasn't as keen as he was leading on, that somehow her team or at least a few members could come with her, but he was a lot smarter than the previous demons they'd encountered. He left no loop holes, Lucy was going to have to go alone, and there was no way around it. It wasn't worth risking the Strauss' lives in an attempt to bring along some back up.

The Lacrima clicked out, and the guild went wild.

"What the fuck Lucy?!" Gray was standing in front of her now, shooting ice everywhere as Laxus grabbed her arm, making her face him, "What did you do Lucy?!" Static was clicking throughout the guild, Bixlow was shaking his head 'no' while Freed was attempting to comfort a very panic-stricken and distraught Evergreen. Laxus had covered her view of the Lacrima – seeing Elfman the way he was would have sent her on the first ride to Mt. Hakobe, only making the situation worse.

"Why did you agree Lucy?!" Erza had panic written all over her face, fighting her own tears back as Levy let hers fall freely. Cana was spitting to the side as she threw her cup at the bar, making quite a mess as a Bisca and Alzack tried to calm her down. Romeo was gripping his father's shirt and fighting his own tears as Macao only watched Cana take her anger out on the counter and barrels a little while longer.

"I don't care Lucy! I'm going with you!" Natsu was on fire – he was daring anyone to tell him otherwise. The whole guild was in a complete frenzy, everyone arguing on how to go about it, what to do, how to get Lucy out of going, how to get the siblings back, how to save everyone.. Mavis had suddenly appeared next to Makarov, she preferred to not meddle in the guild's affairs but this was not something she could easily ignore. Her guild needed all the support they could get at the moment.

"Lucy.. Are you sure you want to do this?" Makarov was lifting her chin with his hand, looking her in the eye as tears met with tears. "What else can I do Master? If I do nothing, they die." Her eyes were now hardened over as she fought back the chill trying to creep up her spine at the thought of what might happen to her. She had made up her mind, she was going.. Alone.. Nobody was going to change that.

The guild was getting louder and louder. Some contemplating tying her down to keep her from going, others trying to come up with a way around the deal so someone could go with her. Others were planning on going regardless. Then Mavis placed her hand on Lucy's shoulder and the guild went somewhat silent.

"Lucy.. I may not know you as well as your guild mates, but from what I've seen this guild loves you, heck, the little bit I've come to know about you has made me already love you. You have a heart of gold and there's nothing nobler than sacrificing one's life for what they believe in. So you have to do what's right for you Lucy. No one else can make this decision for you, or change your mind. So go out there and get your friends, kick that sorry demon's butt, and then we'll all see you when you come back. Kay?"

Lucy's hardened look turned to mush. She found herself hugging Mavis as the previous Master hugged her back twice as hard. The other guild members were back to bickering among themselves, a few were pacing, some aggressively arguing, and others were crying in frustration. Lucy was taking in the mess of a sight before her; Laxus was arguing with Makarov to not let her go, that it was his duty as Guild Master to keep its members safe as Makarov shook his head no – it was Lucy's decision to make, not his.

Gray and Natsu were trying to figure out a way to sneak into Mt. Hakobe until Droy and Jet intervened - saying they'd only get the Strauss' killed to which Erza begrudgingly agreed. Wakaba and Max were arguing with the three on behalf of Natsu and Gray, they couldn't let Lucy go alone - that was suicide. The guild members were so preoccupied arguing with each other that no one noticed the Celestial Mage had even left until she was almost half way home.

* * *

After making her way back to her apartment she instantly started packing. She was debating on what she should or shouldn't bring, she didn't think she'd be coming back so was packing so much really necessary..? _So much for working on her self-esteem issues._

Her breath was becoming shaky and her resolve was hanging by a thread. Mavis's words had given her a little confidence; having somebody tell her she'd be coming back was what she needed to hear, though it wasn't quite enough. She didn't regret her decision, she knew what she was doing was right even if everyone disagreed with her - thought she wasn't thinking things through and being irrational. Even if they took the time to think of a way to sneak into Mt. Hakobe undetected and had a plan would the Strauss' survive in their current condition for that long? It just wasn't worth the risk, this demon was clever, she was sure he'd be two steps ahead of them. She almost forgot about Natsu, Happy, Gray, Erza, and Levy quietly watching her in her apartment, going back and forth with putting things in and taking things out of her bag. Frustration was heavy in the air as they all realized they could do nothing for their friend or the Strauss'.

After Lucy left Erza had put her foot down to any attempts of going with her or ahead of her to Mt. Hakobe; she sided with Makarov and agreed that Lucy had made her decision and they would all honor it. The group had nervously watched Lucy tinker with her packing for a few more seconds before Natsu decided enough was enough and finally stood to walk towards her spot on the floor. He quickly grabbed everything she had just taken out of her bag and put it all back in; she watched him with her eyebrows furrowed before giving him a confused look.

"You're gonna need all this for your turn-around trip. Plus the sisters will need some clothes – so this stuff is for them." Natsu had a serious expression as he continued to over pack her bag. Lucy watched as her confused look crumbled and her eyes began to burn. That was what did it, Lucy couldn't take it anymore, and she burst into tears after burrowing herself into Natsu's chest. She didn't realize it until then that she needed to hear it from someone else; she needed somebody other than Mavis to tell her she was going to come back. She needed their strength – she was running so low on her own.

"Thank.. You.. Natsu.." She managed to huff out between breaths. The rest of her team watched, some hugging her and patting her on the head and back - some even crying with her. Erza promised to save her the last piece of strawberry cake while Levy promised to wait until she got back to finish reading her book. Gray just told her to kick some ass and show that demon what a Fairy Tail mage was made of while Happy gave her a fish. She still continued to cry, but at least she could smile a little now.

After gaining some of her composure back a few stragglers came in and out of her apartment throughout the night. Gajeel tried to talk her either out of going or taking him with her, to which she kindly refused. The Raijinshuu stopped by; Freed had offered to write her a few protection runes while Bixlow remained silent, they didn't know what to say, this sort of thing never happened in Fairy Tail and there was no way around the deal. Evergreen only hugged Lucy, thanking her for going off to bring the Strauss', mainly Elfman, back. Laxus didn't say anything while Cana demanded to spend the night; fighting with Natsu over the bed before Lucy gently kicked both mages out. She'd planned on leaving extra early in the morning, just in case anyone tried to kidnap her and keep her from going.

Once Cana and Natsu finally left Lucy was lying in bed and thinking back on the last few weeks again and how drastically her life had changed. She was beginning to regret ever finding the keys, if she had just allowed that demon to keep his hands on them then none of this would be happening. If Zeref had these keys for so long and had done nothing with them, what could he possibly do that would be so horrible now? He clearly couldn't summon them 400 years ago.. Lucy allowed her internal ramblings to slowly dull out as sleep finally took her over; and dreams of demons and swords clashing occupied her for the rest of the night.

* * *

Lucy woke up extra early that morning to get to the train station like she'd originally planned; she wanted to take the first ride to Mt. Hakobe. She quietly approached the ticket booth when she suddenly jumped in surprise and dropped her luggage, absolutely speechless.

All of Fairy Tail had woken up before the crack of dawn, and everyone was standing in front of the station. Some were crying, others smiling, and the rest were either expressionless or very angry. But the anger wasn't directed at her – the anger was _for_ her, for her situation and for the Strauss'.

She managed her biggest smile as Happy flew into her arms, demanding to go with her once again. She slowly patted his head as she handed him back to Natsu. "Knock 'em dead Luce. Give 'em one for all of us."

Natsu's look gave Lucy the extra boost of confidence she needed yet again.. He _believed_ in her.

She looked at her Master, then to her closest friends along with her more recent ones, then to the rest of the guild. They all believed in her, trusted her to bring the three back and be with them. She wanted to cry – but she wouldn't. Not this time. Everyone was watching her and putting their faith in her, she'd be strong, at least for them. She said her final goodbyes and walked on the train by herself with her head held high.

As the train departed the station she looked back from her seat, and the sight was too over-whelming; she couldn't hold in her tears anymore. Every member from the guild was standing at the edge of the tracks, holding up the Fairy Tail insignia. As she slowly turned back around in her seat she looked around the train.

_Empty._

She began to silently weep.

She'd never been alone like this.

As if answering her call of not wanting to be alone, a flash of light shone and then directly across from her sat Loke. He had a gentle smile as he held eye contact with her. He didn't know what to say – these keys she found had continuously put her life in jeopardy and continued to do so. He had so many things he wanted to tell her, but picking just one word proved all the more difficult when he was staring into big hazy brown eyes, swollen from too many tears. So, he decided to not say anything; he just wanted to be there with her as her final pillar before she went off into the unknown. They continued to sit in silence, never taking their eyes off each other for the entire train ride until the PA announced it's next stop. Loke gave her another small smile knowing he couldn't be caught with her – a deal was a deal.

"Lucy, when you get back to Magnolia, I want you to call on whoever is in charge of the worlds those keys were made from so I can kick their sorry asses for getting you into this mess." Lucy laughed, Loke may be a pervert but he also knew what to say and when to say it. She didn't want to hear a 'goodbye', it sounded too final, a 'when you get back' rang a lot nicer to her. "Thanks Loke, I will." And with that Loke slowly faded back to the spirit world.

She looked to her pouch and unlatched it, pulling her key ring out and slowly touching each one. Each spirit wished her luck and told her they were there with her. Capricorn reminded her to put more faith in herself, that she had the power to take care of the situation on her own. She smiled at his praises as she thought back on the demon and the way he'd hurt the Strauss', she couldn't help the anger slowly building up in her. She wanted to believe in Capricorn's words, that she could, and would definitely make him pay. She'd never seen such cruelty before, and the fact that they were her friends made the deed all the worse. She began thinking about what Rangiku had said about the Gotei 13 waiting to be called out, and then wondered what spirits from her white key were waiting, _if they were waiting,_ to be called out. She slowly allowed her anger to continue to build as she quietly looked at her last 2 keys. She had mixed emotions about them, they were powerful and had saved her and her friends multiple times but they were also the reason she was in this mess, and each one before. She slowly touched her black key, waiting to see if she got any sort of response but was rewarded with silence. She then ghosted over her white key and jolted. Her white key, it was doing something.. None of her other keys had ever done this before..

She couldn't hear a voice, it wasn't actually speaking, at least she didn't think it was. Nothing coherent was being said.. It was almost like.. She could _feel_ it. This was odd.. She'd never had this before.. She slowly put her keys back in her pouch, then paused; thinking of a better idea.

_Virgo.._

* * *

It was afternoon when Lucy arrived at the train station in Mt. Hakobe, and sure enough a note was pinned to one of the boards. Magic, or curse power, concealing it from everybody else except her. She could feel the fear welling up inside her again, but there was no turning back now, she was going to push forward – if not for herself then at least for her guild and her friends who were at the demon's mercy.

CELESTIAL MAGE:

MEET US IN THE OLD MINING WAREHOUSE OUTSIDE TOWN. YOU CANT MISS IT

And as soon as she read it, it self-incinerated. This demon was really thorough..

She gathered whatever courage she had left and made her way to the specified location; subconsciously checking her key ring every few minutes – just for self-reassurance. It was only about a 20 minute walk, not too far, but far enough.

The building looked to have been abandoned a good 50 years ago. Rust stains were on every square inch of the building and the wind lightly blew a few tattered metal pieces, causing them to creak and groan. There were parts that looked as though the rain and wind had thinned the material and caused holes to appear and spread through-out. One thing was for sure – it was definitely abandoned. And very quiet, too quiet.

Until she heard a soft yelp – it sounded like Mira.

Before a rational thought could come up, she was pushing the sliding doors open, causing a loud screeching sound like nails on a chalk board. If anyone wasn't sure whether she was there, they knew now.

As soon as the door was opened the smell of blood hit her - hard. She instantly threw her hands to her nose, fighting back her tears at the sight of her friends hanging almost lifelessly. Seeing it in person was much worse.

"So ya came." The demon slithered out from the shadows, directly behind the sisters. He was tall and muscular, and humanoid like Daemon except he had spikes protruding from his forearms – she remembered him shooting one at Mira. His face was still covered with a bandanna and a wrap around his head, only revealing red eyes. He wore mostly black and was covered almost completely minus his sleeveless shirt. He was disgusting.

And then without warning, Lucy felt a sharp pain on the back of her neck – having just been struck; there was a second demon. _Of course it would have taken two demons to take the Strauss siblings down._

Lucy was lying face down in the dirt, until someone grabbed her by the hair and lifted her up. She never saw her assailant; he remained behind her. She was now face-to-face with the demon from the Lacrima, she didn't even know his name.

"What the.. What are ya playin' at girl? Where are ya black n' white keys?!" He had her pouch in his hands, _when did he even take it?_ And threw her keys to the floor. Lucy managed a scowl and looked him in the eye.

"Let my friends go and I'll tell you." That earned a swift knee to the ribs.

She was doubling over and clutching her sides, gasping for air and coughing. Every second she remained in his presence and the siblings remained as hostages she became more desperate. The attacks on her weren't as unbearable as the state of her friends still hanging on their pillars.

"I'm not playin' games sweet heart. Where are the fuckin' keys?!" He had just landed a swift kick to her face, shooting her a good few feet across the dirt floor. This was going about how she expected it to. She was already prepared to take a beating, but she wasn't handing the keys over until the Strauss' were on the next train ride back to Magnolia, even if she wouldn't be going with them.

"I don't care what you do to me, but kill me now and you'll never find them." She was glaring at the demon now and finally getting a look at her assailant.

_Twins..?_

She was attempting to stand, not taking her eyes off the demon duo, "If you want the keys you have to let them go - and don't touch them anymore either." Her look held a lot more promise than her current state.

The one who seemed to be the ring leader of the two gave her a deadly look, contemplating his options and then deciding to simply giver her what she wanted, he could kill the three mages any time he felt like it. "Fuckin' bitch.. Cut 'em loose!" He was yelling at his companion now, who did as he was told without uttering a word. The siblings fell to the floor - still not moving.

Lucy quickly gave up on attempting to stand, her side was screaming at her to take it easy and her healing incision wound wasn't faring any better. Regardless of her body's protests, she was attempting to crawl towards Mira who was the closest of the three, until she was suddenly stopped. The demon had her by the throat and was lifting her in the air. "Where. Are. The. Keys."

"Not until they're safe." She was visibly struggling now as she continued to clutch her sides and strained in his grip.

He threw her against the wall in an attempt to _not_ kill her; he still needed the keys' location. "L..Luc…Lucy?" Mira was struggling onto all fours, barely registering Lucy's presence.

"Mira.. Can you walk?" Lucy suddenly felt all the pain in her side dull as relief overwhelmed her, "_thank god they're alive."_

"Lucy, why are you here?" Mira was attempting to stand as Elfman was coming-to, but Lisanna was still out cold. The three looked even worse in person than on the Lacrima.

"No time for questions Mira. I need you to grab your brother and sister and leave. Now." Lucy was shuffling towards Mira, just in case the Takeover Mage needed help standing, though Lucy wasn't really in any position to assist anyone.

"No Lucy, I can-"

"Don't argue with me Mira." Lucy's words were stern as she gave Mira a look telling her she had everything under control; which was clearly a lie.

"You three need to take the first train to Magnolia, I know what I'm doing. You being here will only cause trouble.. So Mira.. Please, just this once; listen to me and don't ask questions. I'll answer them as soon as we're all back at the guild. Lisanna looks like she needs a doctor." Lucy gave her a big smile, telling her everything was going to be okay.

Mira wanting to believe in Lucy gave her a firm head nod; she needed to get her younger brother and sister to safety and knew she was right, the three of them would only be baggage in a fight right now. Elfman was now fully conscious and on his knees giving Lucy a confused look, _"What's she doing here?"_

"Elfman.. Can you carry Lisanna?" Mira snapped Elfman out of his thoughts, as he gave Mira a hesitant nod looking between her and the Celestial Mage, clearly distraught about leaving Lucy but not wanting to question his older sister's actions. They must've known what they were doing, _right?_ Elfman was very worried about his still unconscious younger sister as he gently cradled her in his arms as he slowly stood. He looked to Lucy one last time who gave him another head nod. He wasn't in a position to ask questions or even attempt to fight; he'd only get in her way, that was the only thing he was certain about at this point.

Mira silently assessed the situation - Lucy already looked pretty beat up and the demons hadn't even been touched.

She knew Lucy was bluffing; the situation clearly wasn't under control - at least not on the Celestial Mage's end. Regardless, Lucy had begged them to leave, silently pleaded for her to understand and just go, so that's exactly what she was going to do. If she chose to stay she'd only get everyone killed, either she or her siblings would make an easy hostage and as long as the demons were letting them go she needed to take them up on the offer. Tears began to flow as Elfman was limping out the sliding door - clearly as torn as she was about leaving Lucy there. This was still their mess, they should be the ones to clean it up; and why wasn't Lucy's team here? Were they waiting outside to ambush the demons? Mira's mind began racing but knew better than to start asking questions. Lucy was intently watching her, waiting for her to stand and follow her brother who was already partly down the road. This was the second hardest thing Mira ever had to do, it felt like losing Lisanna all over again.

She made her way towards her friend and gave her a desperate hug, "Thank you Lucy.. Thank you.. I'll see you back at the guild. You promise, right?" She held her at arms length and looked her in the eyes.

Lucy gave her a smile, "Of course Mira, I promise."

Mira gave her one more hug and a kiss to the forehead, finally standing and making her way to the door. She gave both demons a quick icy glare and then she was outside. She wanted to warn Lucy about their abilities, how they were able to overcome them in a matter of minutes, but she knew if she would have started rambling they both would have been killed. She needed to believe in Lucy right now, and trust that she could handle it from here. Her new keys were quite powerful and Lucy was probably the most resourceful mage at their guild, she could definitely win. Mira wobbled her way towards her brother's slowly disappearing silhouette down the road, continuing to tell herself that Lucy would be fine, that she could win. That she _had_ to win.

The farther down the road she made it the more she had to fight the urge to look back; otherwise she might turn around and run into the warehouse and get them both killed. No matter how wrong it felt leaving her friend behind she knew staying would only result in getting them both in serious trouble; if anything she had a fighting chance now. She felt her resolve dwindle the farther down the road she got - if Lucy didn't return, she'd never forgive herself.

* * *

All the weight Lucy had carried on her shoulder's disappeared with the Strauss'. She feared the demons would threaten to kill one of them if she didn't hand the keys over, but they must have been pretty desperate to let her pull the strings, even if just for a moment.

"It doesn't matter, they're all gonna die soon anyways." The demon was chuckling as his handy work disappeared from sight.

"You won't touch them. Ever again." Lucy hissed the words. She'd never felt so much hate for anybody in her entire life. She wanted him gone, and she didn't care what she had to do to destroy his existence – no – both their existences. If they were allowed to live they'd only finish what they started with the Strauss', and probably hundreds more. Disgust enwrapped her as she tasted the bile threatening to come up; the thought of them doing this to anyone else in her family literally made her sick to her stomach. She attempted to move when a sharp pain coursed through her side, and she slammed against the wall. _Again._ The demon that had yet to say a word had dealt her the kick; apparently they were running out of patience.

"Keys. Now." The demon was holding his hand out to her as the other one came up from behind, pulling her up and frisking her and finding nothing. "My patience is at its limits, if you don' tell me where they are right now I'll get creative with ways to make ya sing love. Then I'll catch the three before they make it to the train and do the same to 'em." He was pulling something from behind his back until he suddenly disappeared; in fact both demons did. Lucy looked down and noticed they had undoubtedly fallen into pits.

Then Virgo popped up next to Lucy, "Master, you didn't give me the signal yet, but the way they were touching you was angering me. I'll accept whatever punishment later, but here are your keys." Virgo was now handing Lucy her keys and disappearing back to the spirit world. "Good luck Princess!"

"You bitch!" Both demons were clawing their way through their holes, Virgo was sure to make them extra deep.

She grabbed the rest of her keys as she ran back towards the wall, spacing herself from the two demons and then her key started lightly glowing. She pulled her one key from the bunch and was intently staring at it, waiting for a voice or anything to explain what was going on with it. Then she realized she was better off just summoning it - she knew the Death Gods were more than eager to fight, but something was telling her, _intuition?_ _Curiosity? _To summon this one.

As the demons made their way to the top of their holes, Lucy looked both in the eye. "You're gonna wish you were never born, Open! Gate of the Arrancar! Teach these ass holes a lesson!"

The same bright light flashed and then thinned to a form. But not a thin form, no, a tall form; a muscular form.

"Tch, the fuck is this?! You actually had the balls to summon _me?!_"

Lucy felt the hit to her magic, but she didn't care. She didn't even care about the hostility he had towards her, he was clearly only here to fight regardless of the opponent - she could practically feel his desire, he _lived _for battle. She knew she could hold this gate open long enough, she had to, she didn't have a choice. She got the same feelings from this Arrancar as she did from Kenpachi, but she didn't care about that either. She wanted the carnage this time.

"Shit, Harribel wasn't lyin', I can't touch ya." His hand was visibly struggling as he attempted to strangle the girl. She didn't even flinch as she looked him right in the eyes, and he felt her hate, her loathing, and her need for absolute destruction - _right up his alley._ He suddenly felt the urge to take this fight on. "Guess I'll just have to take my frustration out on your two friends here."

A low growl escaped as he approached the two with a predatory walk. Light blue hair was a stark contrast to the dark inside the abandoned warehouse. His bone fragment sat on his right cheek almost taking away from green markings under light blue eyes. He had a white jacket open in the front showing off every piece of muscle along with his hole, she also noticed his matching pants. As he turned she then noticed a "6" tattoo on his lower back with his sword casually tied to his left side by a sort of black sash.

"Who in the hell are you?" One of the demons had asked as he took a step back, they had hoped to take the keys before she attempted a summoning. If she would have pulled them out earlier they would have used the siblings as hostages, not allowing her to summon any spirits. She was clever to hide her keys the way she did, it gave her the leverage she needed. This wasn't one-sided any longer; the demons could see the fury in this spirit's eyes.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. Sexta Espada. You're both fucked!" A huge toothy psychotic grin etched his face as his eyebrows burrowed into what would have been a scowl if he wasn't laughing so much. Lucy was preparing for the same massacre from her original mission to get the keys – but this time she intentionally called it out.

* * *

******I'm sorry it took me so long to update, to be honest I really STRUGGLED with this chapter, I didn't like the way it was reading and I'm still not completely satisfied with it - I almost deleted it and rewrote it.. I'm sure I'll edit it 100 more times even after posting.. BLAH!**

**The key was reacting to Lucy's feelings of hate, fear, and pain - that's how Hollows were born after all. She's connected to the keys in the same way she is to all her others. Was it asking to be summoned? Not necessarily, it was just in tune with Lucy. Why did she decide to summon it? She's not even sure, she just **_**felt**_** the need to. After all, she wanted destruction - who better to deliver than the Espada of Destruction? I'd say he's most appropriate for the task at hand - if he doesn't accidentally kill Lucy in the process XD**

*************Poll in my profile is up! Go vote for who you want to see the most! Don't forget to vote for your favorite characters!****************

**Thank you my loves!**


	14. Chapter 14: Espada of Destruction

**Everyone.. Your reviews.. My goodness.. So so sweet! Positive reviews is what makes me wanna keep writing! Thank you all!**

**And don't forget! Poll is up people! Go vote for your favorites to make sure they get some ass-kicking action! So many people have already voted, and to say I'm shocked at some of the top 5 would simply be an understatement (mainly one of the characters o_0). But man oh man do I feel my creativity wheels turnin' at the possibilities! I'm excited all over again! Thanks for your votes! I'm hoping for more!**

**I had a lot more fun with this chapter than I probably should have.. I just love Grimmjow so much.. I hope my battle scene doesn't disappoint! **

**Enjoy~**

* * *

The demons were shifting to battle stances; they could s_mell_ the hunger for battle coming off the blue haired man. He was as tall as they were albeit a little larger. Between his confident strides, the psychotic grin, and the _power_ he oozed, the demons knew they had a fight on their hands. But they weren't worried, they had a secret weapon.

"Alright, _Grimmjow_, let's get this over with so we can kill that woman n' be done." The demon from the Lacrima spoke. He seemed almost unfazed by the Arrancar's power.

Grimmjow laughed – Lucy failed to find the humor in the situation. Especially since he was just standing in place and not actually doing anything, all the while using up her magic just to sustain his reiatsu alone. He wasn't as heavy as Kenpachi or Harribel, but he was a lot more than Rukia, Wonderweiss and Rangiku.

"If anyone's offin' the woman, it's gonna be me." He had yet to stop smiling – this one definitely had a few screws loose; and he was excited, much too excited. So why wasn't he doing anything?!

And then he disappeared. The demons flinched, "_where did he-"_

A loud cracking sound resonated within the building; he suddenly reappeared in between the twins, fully facing Lucy and making brief eye contact before round-house kicking the demon on his right and using the momentum to grab the others face and slam him straight into the floor. The first flew right past Lucy and through 4 pillars, the wall, then proceeded to crash through a few of the trees outside the building until he landed into the mountain the place was originally mining – _hard._

The second's head was smashed so far into the ground he was completely perpendicular to the floor. Grimmjow released his head to land another swift round-house kick into his stomach – sending him just as far in the opposite direction. Then it was silent.

"Tch. Pathetic." He was sneering in disgust, hands in his pockets and posture completely slacked. How could two beings that caused her and her three friends so much damage simply _bore_ him?!

"Get the fuck up. I didn't get called here for a one-sided fight. Let me see the both of you at full power." Grimmjow was still standing in his signature posture, as pissed off looking as a second ago.

In the flash of an eye, both demons reappeared on either side of Grimmjow; unfortunately for them he saw every movement – he was a Sonido master after all. Both pulled small blades from behind them, most likely hidden behind their shirts and tucked into their pants, and simultaneously attacked with perfect synchronization. Much to their surprise, however, they were only able to land hits on the Arrancar's forearms as he finally took his hands from his pockets to block. They both snickered; he'd for sure lose his arms with the momentum they both achieved from the distance they flew to land the attack.

"…That's it?" Grimmjow had an eyebrow raised, sneer still in place.

Both demons eyes went wide with shock. "How're your arms unscathed?" One of them asked – Lucy couldn't differentiate between the two any longer, maybe it was the silent brother asking? Grimmjow's arms could have been armor; he blocked both blades without even so much as a scratch on his skin.

"What the fuck makes you think I'm gonna tell you anythin'?" Grimmjow pushed off the blades with his forearms and then grabbed both with each hand. The brothers pulled their blades straight down in hopes of slicing his palms; but still nothing but the sound of blade rubbing against stone.

_"What was his skin made of?"_ The demons jumped back and took a moment to take their opponent in; they weren't expecting this.

Grimmjow brushed his hand through his unruly hair until it rested on the back of his neck. He rolled his head back and forth - cracking his neck with his eyes closed, still scowling. _A Gillian would have put up a better fight than these pansies._

"Oi, woman, send me back, these two are-" Before he could even finish his sentence Grimmjow had received a swift kick to his abdomen. The demon on his right had round-house kicked him with only a little less force than the kick he'd previously dealt while the other struck the back of his head with the same kick. They were trying to make the Arrancar parallel with the floor to strike him from the back and into the ground, but before they could both land their final hit he disappeared.

"Well, looks like you two have a little fight in ya after all." Grimmjow's smile was back, as were his hands in his pockets. He was now standing in mid-air above everyone, hair almost touching the ceiling. "Dunno if I wasn't payin' close enough attention cuz I thought you were both pathetic, or if you got faster, but this just got interesting." He disappeared again, reappearing in the same place in between the twins, but this time they dodged his attacks.

"..What?" Grimmjow was so surprised he forgot to shift back into a defensive stance, leaving an opening for both to throw a right punch straight to his face, sending him back a few feet.

"What the?" He went from surprised to utterly shocked. They dodged him _and_ landed a punch?! What the fuck was going on? He was missing something.. "How are you two getting faster?" His eyes were laced with his annoyance, he was keen when it came to battle, rarely ever missing his opponents abilities – he was the Sexta Espada for a reason, so what the hell was going on?

"Why the fuck should we tell you anythin'?" The demon was mocking him.

Bad idea.

He snickered as his eyes lit up, then he disappeared yet again. Both demons were prepared for him to attack and instantly turned to the center, but he didn't appear between the two. Instead, he was directly above the one who had insulted him, a red light shining from his palm and a manic smile in place. As soon as the demon looked up, he released his attack.

Red energy and heat radiated throughout the building as it caused a massive hole within the ground, the demon nowhere to be found as the floor began to split and the building began to shake. The remaining pillars that were barely able to hold the structure were beginning to cave in and collapse. Lucy looked up as she saw the roof about to crumble on top of her – _and she thought getting caught up in Aquarius' attacks were bad.._

She closed her eyes, she'd either be squashed to death or sustain injuries so bad she wouldn't be able to hold the gate open and the demons would kill her anyways. She threw her arms over her head on pure instinct and braced herself, until she felt a harsh yank and then the uncomfortable feeling of someone holding her by the back of her shirt collar. She opened her eyes to see the warehouse caving in on itself as dust and dirt was blown around the destruction. She then noticed the trees.. And the mountain.. And the town.. She then realized the giant warehouse looked to be the size of a regular house from where she was. She slowly looked directly below her;_ "we have to be at least 1000 feet in the air._." She 'eeped' and jumped onto whoever was holding her by her collar – that definitely wasn't sturdy enough for her liking.

"What the fuck do you think yer doin'?" She slowly looked up to realize she was pressing herself up against her Arrancar spirit – she figured he was the one to save her but for a moment she forgot he wanted to kill her as much as the demons below.

"I'm sorry, I've just never been this high.." She was blushing furiously as she realized she was smashing her chest into his bare one, both arms wrapped around his neck as her face was pressing against the crook of it. It was a _very_ intimate position, but the thought of falling was a much more prevalent fear than their embrace – well, she was embracing him; he'd completely let go of her shirt now. She 'eeped' again at the loss of support – even if it was minimal – and wrapped one of her legs around his, pushing herself even tighter against him; if that was even possible.

She could feel the rumble in his chest - he was chuckling.

She was definitely going to Lucy-kick him before closing his gate. _What a sadistic asshole.._

"If ya' wanna straddle me so bad chick, it's gonna have to wait 'til I kill those two." He was smiling again, jerking his head in the direction of the two demons standing on the ground, barely visible. "_Straddle him..? Oh he's gonna pay for that one" _the Celestial Mage was shaking in anger as Grimmjow slowly stopped laughing. He could sense her anger, and this time it was directed towards him. He could feel the pull, he wasn't supposed to upset her _this_ much, but he had a knack for breaking the rules and suffering the repercussions for it later – though this seemed a little different. In the flash of an eye she was back on the ground, and rather dizzy from the movement and the distance.

Lucy stumbled as she quickly let him go, but caught herself before falling onto the ground. She'd embarrassed herself enough in front of him for one day. As she glanced at him she noticed he wasn't even looking at her, his attention was back on the demons – grin still in place. The demon he landed the red heat attack on wasn't looking so hot, but was definitely still standing, he must've evaded the full brunt of it at the last second; _these guys were tough_..

_"So he survived my **c****ero** eh? This is definitely getting interesting.." _Grimmjow's eyes slightly darkened and the hairs on the back of his neck started tingling, he hadn't been this excited for battle since Kurosaki.

"Why don't you go sit over there _princess_ while I finish all the work." Grimmjow was giving Lucy a sarcastic half grin, barely even looking at her.

_He was really pissing her off_.

She gave him a dirty look before replying, "No thanks, I prefer to fight _with_ my spirits. You're looking a little tired though _Grimmjow_, do you need to take a little breather?" She now had an eyebrow raised and a smirk in place; grabbing her whip to gesture she was going to take over fighting the demons in his place.

He was glowering at her now, slightly turning and facing her, a deeper scowl back in place. She was still smirking while she unraveled her whip with a crack; taking a step forward until he grabbed the collar of her shirt again.

"The fuck you say to me?" He now had her lifted above the ground and facing him; their noses almost touching as his pissed off gaze met her sarcastic one. _Oh he's so easy to rile._

In the moment he put all attention on the girl, the relatively unharmed demon appeared directly behind Grimmjow, sword ready to pierce his back – but Grimmjow was faster. He used his Sonido to get around the demon and threw a **bala** right into the back of his head, and none too gently dropping Lucy onto her feet slightly behind him. But right as he released her, the other brother reappeared in between them, ready to throw his blade in the exact same fashion his brother was only seconds before. Lucy saw him disappear from his original spot and had noticed a trend in their fighting style; they did the exact same moves – to a 'T'. She had already cocked her whip back and was already lashing at the empty space behind Grimmjow; and sure enough latched onto his blade as he appeared and managed to pull it away from her Arrancar spirit; just as he was turning to defend it.

Once realizing he missed his target he disappeared again and reappeared beside his brother, who had just taken a hit from one of the Arrancar's red attacks – however this one was less powerful than the first.

Grimmjow turned and looked at Lucy, practically growling. "What the fuck are ya doin'?!" His hands were in the air and once again, all attention was back on the woman.

"What do you mean 'what am I doin'?! What are _you_ doing?! Stop dropping your guard! Maybe I should have used my Shinigami key, they're a lot more efficient." She had just crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YA JUST SAY?! What Shinigami key?! You have Shinigami fightin' for your sorry ass too?!" he was thrusting his head down to her level so she'd get the full impact of his glare.

"Damn straight I have a Shinigami key! And the first time I called on it the big guy killed a demon two classes more powerful than these two in 2 minutes! What do you have to say to that?!" Lucy was now glaring back at him, their gazes were so intense you could see the electrical current as Grimmjow was grinding his teeth - Lucy had crossed her arms under her chest even further, pushing her cleavage up.

This went on for another five minutes.

"..."

Both demons just stood there. In silence.

"..."

Did they just forget they were in the middle of a life-or-death fight..? They sweat dropped; _G__od they act like an old married couple.._

One of the demons rubbed his temple as the other shook his head, crossing his arms as the two continued to throw insults at each other for a few more minutes. They both sighed and then switched back into battle stances.

Enough was enough; they didn't even have to look at each other to know what to do. They disappeared at the same time; one reappearing next to Grimmjow as the other reappeared next to Lucy, both swinging their swords. Grimmjow easily blocked his assailant with his forearm as he turned to grab his bimbo of a charge out of the way when a small pain caught his attention. He turned back around to examine his forearm only to see that the blade had actually cut him; though it was just a little, it still cut through his Hierro. In that split second he had forgotten about Lucy, but as he felt that nagging sensation at the back of his head and turned to grab the girl once again, his stomach churned at the sight. the demon managed a deep gash into her right forearm, she just barely moved back enough to not lose the limb completely. He still continued to grab her and with a quick Sonido had her a few yards away from the demons.

"Now look what you've done! You should'a just sat back and watched me chick, now you're bleedin' all over the fuckin' place." Grimmjow had once again dropped Lucy none too gently to the ground, a scowl deeper than any other she'd seen was aimed directly at her. She didn't rebuttal. She didn't even look directly at him; she just clutched her forearm to stop some of the bleeding – without success. Grimmjow's scowl slightly softened and he rolled his eyes. "Tch.."

He threw his black obi at her and turned around to walk away. She looked up in surprise, "Don't expect me to tie it for ya! Take care of your own fuckin' mess!" He didn't even turn around to address her, and then within a second he was gone. He reappeared in front of the demon brothers – cursing wildly at himself about goin' soft and bein' a pansy.

"Alright, I'm sick of this. Let's finish it." Grimmjow's scowl was back in place as he finally let all his retained reiatsu loose. Lucy gasped.

Grimmjow figured he didn't have long and he couldn't let the chick die if his reaction to her being cut was any indicator – fuck if he knew why – so it was time to get serious. He held Pantera in his left hand as he slowly unsheathed the sword with his right; choosing to hold on to the scabbard. As he was about to attack, they disappeared, and metal crashed with metal and the sheath he chose to keep for defensive purposes, since one of them managed to nick his skin and knew they would continue to. He wouldn't ever admit it to the girl but realized that she may have done him somewhat of a favor blocking that blades path from his back – granted if she wasn't distracting him it wouldn't have been a fuckin' issue, but none the less she did him a favor. _Fuck._

"Yer distracted, stop thinkin' bout the blonde and start fightin' for real. Or don't, she runs outta magic you go back n' she dies anyway." One of the twins glanced at the girl, looking more worn out after her spirit let loose a frenzy of energy. He was purposefully taunting him, wanting him to make a mistake; he didn't have to worry about him lashing out since he was reckless and unpredictable to begin with. He just wanted to get inside his head and hopefully manipulate him into making a mistake. That was until Grimmjow laughed his signature maniacal laugh.

"Yeah I'm real fuckin' distracted. But I've seen through your guys' façade. You've got a telepathic connection; that's how your attacks are so well synchronized without so much as sayin' a word or even a gesture to each other. And your ability allows you to grow stronger and faster with every blow I deal you or anytime you come into contact with me – so you can eventually overpower your opponent with time. There's no way in fuckin' hell you'd be able to keep up with my Sonido if it weren't some shitty copycat bull shit like what you're usin'. Plus it ain't sustained increased anything, you go back to the rag dolls I was throwin' around in the beginning once this fights over. You can't acquire power just by replicating it. Real shitty technique if ya ask me – take a beatin' and don't actually get any stronger? Tch – pathetic."

The demons were speechless. Eyes wide in horror – how did he know? How did he figure all that out within the 15 minutes he was out and having spent more time arguing and toying with the woman then actually fighting them? So he wasn't just an aggressive brute..

"What? No snide comment back? Not gonna rile me up anymore?" And with one last devious smirk he released the rest of his pent up reiatsu he had in his non-released form and reappeared directly in front of both demons, palms aimed between their eyes with two charged ceros, only allowing the demons to brace for impact as he fired in point-blank range.

Both flew back into the mountain unmoving and not even visible. _Tch – that should do it._

He resheathed his sword and started to walk back to the Celestial Mage. She was still sitting on the ground and looking pretty pathetic, he couldn't help but snicker. "Who needs to take the breather now?" He was laughing in his throat as she gave him a look he couldn't help but laugh out loud at. She was a total pain in the ass, but she was fun to tease – and feisty. He looked to her forearm and noticed his obi tied securely around it; she followed his gaze and blushed.

"Thank you.. For giving me this.." She was embarrassed with actually having to thank the man she was going back and forth with not moments ago. But she knew when thanks were in order, and he saved her, it was the _least_ she could do.

"You should be submissive like this more often, it's a lot less annoyin'." He was playfully smirking at her now; this was probably the first time he'd ever been so worked up and unable to do anything about it, so he wanted to piss her off as much as possible if nothing else, s_crew the nagging sensation._

"Yeah you wish." She was giving him the same smirk in return. He was rude and an ass hole, but he wasn't _too_ bad. Heck, he probably had a nice side once you got to know him.

"My name's Lucy by the way, Lucy Heartfilia. Thank you for saving me and my friends Grimmjow, even if you are totally annoying." She was still giving him the same playful smirk - she wanted to piss him off too since he couldn't do anything about it, two could play at that game.

He just rolled his eyes and spat to the side as a few colorful words were said under his breath. He knew what she was doing, and figured it was better not to buy into it; he'd only get pissier and not be able to do anything, except lay out a few Arrancar when he got back home. How did he get back home? Harribel failed to mention that..

Lucy broke the silence, "By the way, what was that red thing you shot out of your palms earlier?"

"My **cero**?" He was looking at her like she was a complete fuckin' idiot. Was she clueless?

"Oh! That Gran Rey thing Harribel used before!?" Lucy instantly perked up, completely disregarding his look of disgust and annoyance at her question.

"You a fuckin' idiot? If it were my **Gran Rey Cero** half that mountain over there would be gone - besides did you see me use a blood pact?" He was rolling his eyes and scratching his head.

"Wow.. Yeah you're right, Harribel did destroy half a town.. And the train station.. And a few trains.. heh.. heh.." Lucy was scratching the back of her head recalling the incident that left her team with no reward money. "Well, I didn't notice Harribel use one either.. Then again her being out was a complete blur.." Lucy was now looking at him in a very analytical way.

"What the fuck you starin' at?" As if the girl couldn't get on his nerves any more.

"How come Harribel was able to transform and you weren't?" Lucy's question was one of pure curiosity.

"Girl.. What DO you know about us?" He had one eye brow lifted and his arms crossed over his chest. She really had no idea what she was summoning to her world.. What a complete retard.

"Umm, well, that you're all really strong, I mean, really really strong. You just took out two demons that three of some of the best mages at our guild couldn't beat. I've gotta say that's pretty impressive!" She was giving him a smile and a slightly raised eye brow. She figured feeding into his ego - which he clearly had one - would maybe make him hate her less and enable her to ask more questions. She really didn't know anything about either key or these spirits, but especially the Arrancars.

Grimmjow raised both eyebrows at that one, _did she just compliment him?_ Hell he knew he was powerful, but it was nice having someone who was giving him so much shit earlier finally admit to it. His inner panther was grinning. He noticed her eyes becoming heavy and her shoulders slumping - she was running out of her own power. She gave him another small smile.

"Well, looks like I'm at my limit.. And there's still so much we need to talk about." Her smile turned into a sad one.

"Tch, what-" Grimmjow's eyes went wide as he felt something flicker; he turned back around to look at the mountain where he'd blasted both demons at earlier. They weren't dead yet. _Shit._

He was too careless; they were purposefully hiding in the rubble and concealing their power so he would assume them to be dead, he may be able to detect reiatsu, but curse power wasn't the same. Grimmjow now looked to the girl sitting on the ground, all tattered and worn out. She was almost out of power, there was no way she could hold him out any longer. It wasn't until then that she noticed it too and looked straight into Grimmjow's eyes, she knew just as well as he did that she couldn't keep his gate open any longer. He felt like shit, he didn't ever leave fights unfinished and the chick gettin' killed didn't sit right with him.

"Chick, you-" Before he could even finish his sentence, he disappeared. Lucy fell forward, barely able to look up and keep her eyes open as the two demons slowly approached her. To say they were absolutely battle worn would have been an understatement, one more attack from her spirit and they most likely would have died; and Grimmjow didn't even break a sweat.. He was too confident and left the job undone. She laid her head to the ground and started thinking about all the promises she made her guild mates and spirits about what they'd all do once she returned to Magnolia. She didn't even bother to cry, she'd already done enough of that. She just closed her eyes and made peace with her situation. There was a possibility it would turn out like this, she knew that and accepted the terms anyways.

"Gotta admit, that key was trouble. Good thing he was too fuckin' cocky to see his work through." The demon was grabbing Lucy by the collar of her shirt – the same way Grimmjow did. It wasn't until then that she realized he'd actually done it a little more gently. _Hah.. Go figure.. He wasn't that bad after all.. _She snickered to herself and mentally rolled her eyes, replaying their little arguments back in her head. _Yeah.. He was alright.._

_"_One thing's for sure, that skin hardening he was able to use definitely came in handy at the end there." The demon holding her snickered a little; their skin was hard to begin with, but having that technique to amplify it prevented them from otherwise being incinerated.

"Are you sure we should kill her brother?" The twin who normally kept quiet was speaking now. Or at least she thought he was.

"Hmm, you might be right, but just for all the trouble she's caused us I'd rather kill'er." She couldn't see his face but she knew he was smiling.

"Then we can finish off her lil' friends we let go." He was chuckling now. They didn't just kill for orders; they genuinely enjoyed seeing peoples suffering.

"Exactly. I don't like leavin' jobs unfinished after all." Both were laughing now. Despicable.

"But first, let's see how much we can get this girl to scream first. I love it when they beg."

Lucy Laughed.

"Are you actually laughin' at the fact yer gonna die? And in the most excruciatingly painful way possible?" The demon now had his hand under her chin, making her look him in the eyes. She just stared back – showing no fear and smiled again.

"Do your worst." And a little snort followed, showing her defiance. If she was gonna go out, she was gonna go out proud.

"Shit woman, you've got some serious guts."

.

.

"…Huh?!"

Lucy's eyes shot open and her head somehow found the energy to snap to her right and left. _Was that...?_ The demons were looking every which way too, _okay so the voice wasn't just in her head._

"**Grind Pantera.**"

A serious gust of wind could be felt, and the next thing Lucy knew she was suddenly released. She winced, readying for the impact of hitting the ground, but it never came. Instead, she was unceremoniously being held by the collar of her shirt again – but it was done a _little_ more gently than the demon earlier. She smiled.

"Thanks Grimmjow."

She barely managed to look up at him – following the path of his hips up; his clothing was replaced with a type of form fitting white armor that stopped at his sternum and V'd up around his neck. It looked like the black inside of his collar was still attached. It stretched down his arms and to his hands until it turned black – ending off in claws. His hair was now swishing behind his knees and a long whip-like tail flicked from behind. His teeth were sharpened and his ears looked more like cat ears, with his facial bone fragment missing and now above his forehead with a very different shape. He looked like a completely different person, until you looked at his eyes – same feral wildness. Yep; definitely Grimmjow. _It's kinda weird how well she knows him already._

The best part of the situation was that he was in his super power form like Harribel; and it didn't affect her at all – _just like with Rangiku._

Lucy looked to her forearm and was staring at his black obi. Exactly like Rangiku's scarf..

"I don't leave fights unfinished. And you aint dyin' on my freakin' watch." He was still looking at her. "Besides, now we're even for you blockin' that blade from my back, so I don't wanna hear about it." She barely managed to look back up at him and smile. Not a condescending smile, but a genuine one. He'd never seen a smile without malice or specific intent behind it. She was actually smiling just to smile at him; like she was actually _happy_ he was there. Wow. That's a first. For that, he actually set her down instead of just dropping her. He was working on the whole "being nice" thing.

"How are you here?" One of the demons was finally speaking up, but before Grimmjow could answer his brother lifted his arms and shot his pin-like structures at the two. Grimmjow just sneered and swiped them away with his tail. "Oh that was fuckin' cute."

He lifted his left arm across his chest, aiming his elbow at the demon that had just shot the pins.

His smile widened as he fired five crystal-like projectiles from his elbow. Three of the five hitting their target as he attempted to dodge, but one would have been enough. The demon flew back into the mountain from the first, barely visible, then completely disappeared with the second. The third caused the mountain to completely cave in over the hole created by the demon's impact. There was no mistaking the disappearance of his energy this time, and his brother shrieked.

"But mine's better." His smile was so wide his eyes almost closed.

"YOU! I'll kill you!" The demon was running full speed at Grimmjow - mimicking his Sonido; but in the Espada's released form everything was heightened – he might as well be running in slow motion. Before the demon could even swing his blade Grimmjow had met him halfway much faster than he'd previously moved; and thrust his left hand through the demon's abdomen, shooting it out through his back. The demon sputtered as he gripped his assailant's forearm in an attempt to dislodge himself. He struggled for a few more seconds before falling limp. Grimmjow simply dropped his arm and let the demon slide off to the ground with a loud thunk that would have made anyone else uneasy. He then used the demons clothing to wipe off most of the blood on his hand, slowly turning back over to Lucy to gauge her reaction.

Much to her surprise she was actually in a sitting position and not unconscious. She watched the last few moments of Grimmjow brutally finishing off the last demon, and shocked herself even further when she realized she only flinched a little at first, and then felt completely unfazed. They'd probably done much, _much_ worse to many others and were planning to do so to her and her friends, she couldn't bring herself to feel sorry for them.

"What were those things from your elbow?" Lucy was looking over his form again, now noticing his armor stretching to his legs as they formed into black claws on his feet as well – and a huge scar on his chest.

"**Garra de la Pantera.** Just one of the techniques I can use in this form." He was now changing back into his original state as he approached the girl. He didn't wanna mess her up anymore with his overbearing power, plus being in her world was eating up his reiatsu. He looked to the girl and she smiled again. _Shit, she's gotta stop doing that._

"Are you a cat?" She now had her head tilted, smile even bigger.

"Am I a-? What the fuck! No I'm not a fuckin' cat! My release form is a fuckin' panther!" He was already angry again.. _So easy to anger.._

"Oh, well I like it. What's a release form?" She was finally having a conversation with one of her Arrancar spirits, though Harribel probably would have been a better choice..

"All Arrancar have release forms. It's our ultimate battle form." Grimmjow's scowl lessened, _this girl really has no idea what kind of beings she's summoning.. She _does_ have guts._

"Oh, wow, so your release form is a Panther.. And Harribel's is a shark.. What was Wonderweiss?" Lucy had her finger under her chin in a contemplative stance.

"I've never seen his release form – nobody has; except you." He had an eyebrow raised now and crossed his arms over his chest. Debating whether or not to ask the girl what his release form resembled, but then thinking back on the boy's odd behavior and nature figured it probably wasn't anything normal..

"Oh, wow.." Lucy was snapped from her thoughts as she made eye contact with the Arrancar again.

"Alright, my turn to ask some questions. How the fuck are you callin' us here? And why the fuck can't I kill you?" Grimmjow had now lifted the girl from the ground – from her collar again – and had her at eye level. She just stared at him in surprise, _he's confused the same way Rangiku was.._

She slowly pulled out her keys and showed him the white bone fragmented one. He eyed it quizzically then was looking back at her.

"What in the hell is that?" he had his nose scrunched up in distaste – did this guy ever not look pissed?

"It's my Arrancar key; I found it and that's how I can summon you here." She pulled out her black key as well. "This is my Shinigami key." A low growl escaped his chest; she instantly put her keys away.

"Not-uh! Give me that fuckin' key!" He was reaching for her pouch, he figured if she didn't have the key anymore she couldn't call on him – though getting called to fuck shit up did have its pluses.. He didn't like the idea of having to be her lil' bitch in the process. But Lucy couldn't let him take any of the keys back, Rangiku had made it very clear those keys were not to return to their world - even if she didn't understand why.

"No Grimmjow! Stop! Please!"

And he stopped.

And had no idea why.

"WHAT THE FUCK! WHY AM I LISTENING TO YOU?!" He was screaming in her face; she had to plug her ears to save her eardrums from exploding.

"WHY DO YOU YELL SO MUCH?!" She was screaming back just as loud; causing him to jump at her outburst. He'd never been yelled at before in such a manner, and he sure as hell never had anyone go back and forth with him the way this chick did, anyone else would have been pulverized or incinerated by now. _God damn key.._

"So why is it that I can't shoot a **cero** at you _right now_ no matter how badly I want to." His look still held scorn, but he was serious. He wanted an answer; maybe he could figure a way out of it.

"We think it's because you guys are passing through a gate I've created, that you have to follow the same laws the Celestial Spirits here have to follow – and the number one law is that no spirit is allowed to cause any harm and absolutely cannot kill their master." Her scowl was gone, she knew he probably wouldn't like the explanation very much – _she probably shouldn't have used the term Master.._

"MASTER?!"

Yep.. Poor choice of words..

"What the fuck makes you think you're my _Master?!"_ he spat out the last word like venom.

She got a slightly smug look on her face. "Because I am." She now had a half smile as her eyes lit up a little bit. It took everything she had to not laugh at his disgusted expression. But the way his mouth flew open then snapped shut in an attempt to articulate a response sent her over the edge. She was practically howling in laughter, wiping a tear from her eye. So he dropped her – hard.

"Ouch! Hey!" She looked up at him and saw a very disgruntled look on his face. He definitely wanted to kill her.

"Alright.. I'm sorry.. I shouldn't have laughed at you. You're just so fun." She smiled at him again, laughing a little more at his multitude of facial expressions – he was scary and mean, but definitely amusing.

He scowled. "I am not _fun."_ He was gritting his teeth now. Man this woman really irked him.

"Yes you are. I like having you here, you're not like any other spirit – you're one of a kind Grimmjow!" She was smiling again.

His scowl turned into confusion. She was the weirdest fuckin' woman he'd ever met.. _Wasn't she scared of him?_

"Thanks for coming back, you saved my life." Her smile widened into a genuine one as her eyes became warm, she thought she'd teased him enough for one day, surely his ego and pride could only handle so much. "You wouldn't happen to know how you came back would you?" She had her head tilted again.

"I could feel my reiatsu and followed it." He was looking at the obi tied around her forearm, "It's leaking off my obi."

_Well I guess that makes sense.._ She was looking at the obi too, the lingering energy must've prevented the door from closing all the way. Well that could be handy in the future.. "Well, regardless you didn't have to come back. You chose to, and I thank you for that. I hope we can be friends Grimmjow." She was smiling warmly at him again.

"I don't do friends."

"Why not?"

"Don't need 'em."

"Everybody needs a friend.."

"I don't."

"Well have you ever had one before?"

"What the – no I've never had a fuckin' friend before."

"Then how could you know if you've never had one?"

He stared at her pointedly now. _Why is she so fuckin' weird?_

"Cuz anyone in Hueco Mundo that tries gettin' close to you either wants somethin' from ya or wants to dethrone ya. That's just the way it is." He had his arms re-crossed over his chest.

"Oh.." Lucy was looking down.. A hurt expression on her face. "That's.. That's so sad.. Why?" She was looking back at him again, he regarded her curiously, w_hy was she so sad over that?_

"Hueco Mundo isn't a world with fuckin' rainbows and butterflies; every day is a day of survival. It's kill or be killed and everybody is fighting tooth and nail to get to the top. It's just the way it is." Grimmjow had no expression now. He seemed completely unfazed with it as he shrugged.

Lucy flinched as her heart started to ache. She was thinking about Harribel and innocent little Wonderweiss - _minus the boob thing -_ and the thought of hundreds of Arrancar trying to kill them, even Grimmjow, just to "get to the top" was too cruel.

"I don't understand.. Why?" She turned a hurt and confused gaze to her spirit. He flinched at her reaction. He was so used to being around power hungry, merciless beings all the time. He definitely wasn't adapting well to her emotions.

"Already told ya, it's just the way it is. Hueco Mundo operates on a type of hierarchy. The stronger you are the more free reign and power you have over the masses." He was rubbing the back of his neck, waiting to see what crazy expression she'd throw at him this time.

"So how strong are you?" She had an eye brow raised.

He snickered. "I'm the Sexta" He turned around and pointed his thumb at his back. "When you're an Espada you're ranked based on your reiatsu." He turned back around to face her. She looked to be contemplating something.

"And Harribel is the Third?" She looked back at him. "Meaning she's got the third highest reiatsu in your world?"

"'Bout sums it up." He shrugged. "Doesn't mean they're stronger though." He had a cocky smirk and a twinkle in his eye.

"But if their reiatsu is higher..?" She was confused again.

"Tch. Subjective. Doesn't mean they're better in battle." His smirk turned into a full blown cocky grin saying he could take any one of them out – w_ell at least in his own mind. _And it explained why Harribel was a lot harder on her magic than Grimmjow; especially since she was in her Release form.

"I see.. Well, you certainly are battle savvy. You saw right through their techniques down to the root of it and all I noticed was their synchronization – but I had no idea how or why." She had her finger back under her chin.

"Heh, damn right." He had a smug look now; as long as she was complimenting him she could go on all damn day, shoot she-

"But you're too confident in your abilities – cocky actually. You totally missed the fact that you didn't deal a lethal blow. You underestimated them a few times too." She was now pointing a finger at him as if reprimanding him. _Wow. This chick.. Just.. Wow._

There were no words. His mouth was slightly hanging open at her gall to criticize him.

"But! You came back and finished the job, and on your own too. You didn't wanna leave it unfinished even though you hate me. That says a lot about your character, deep under that rough exterior you're actually a good guy. I'd dare to say you even have a strict honor code, don't ya?" She was playfully smiling at him. One eyebrow raised and a finger poking at his thigh. Why the fuck was she touching him?

He grabbed her hand and lifted her so she was making eye contact with him again. He had a devious glint in his eye that would have told her to run if she knew he couldn't actually physically harm her.

"Good guy huh? Let me ask ya this sweet heart, how do you think I got to be the Sexta Espada?" He had a ferocious toothy grin showing off his canines. Obviously in an attempt to intimidate her, and it was working. She flinched a little at his words and their implication, but quickly regained her composure and stared him right back in the eye.

"I can only imagine. But like you said earlier, it's just how your world works. You can't help that; and you can try to scare or intimidate me as much as you want. I've already made up my mind; you're a good guy, despite how badly you want everyone to see you as a ruthless killing machine. I don't doubt you'd destroy your enemies, I watched it with my own eyes; but if you had friends, people you cared for I think you'd fight just as hard to keep them safe."

She wasn't mocking him, jabbing at him, or even making fun of him, she was dead fuckin' serious. Was she crazy? Nobody thought of the Espada of Destruction as a "good guy." What the fuck?

His smile disappeared and confusion clearly etched his features as he dropped her. Today was full of firsts for him, but this was definitely the most unexpected.

He was scratching the back of his head; he didn't know what to say back to her. She knew he couldn't hurt her, any attempts to scare or intimidate her were working less and less. If he had to admit, he was actually starting to like the chick a 'lil. She was dumb as hell and had zero survival skills - hell she'd almost been killed multiple times already - but she was still fun to mess with. Besides, he seemed like a freakin' God to her, the people of this world probably weren't all too powerful if his two opponents were anything to go off of - but then again she did mention something earlier about a demon two ranks higher than the wonder twins earlier.. Maybe this world actually had some powerful opponents. His fingers started to twitch and a small smile played at his lips; the thought of unlimited battle with stronger opponents practically had him jittering with excitement. He'd definitely need to visit this place more, at least it relieved him of his fuckin' boredom. He then looked to her forearm and smirked.

"The demons are dead, you don't need me here anymore. You should be able to walk now - I'm headin' back." He was turning around and walking away.

"Hey wait! Your obi! Let me give it back!" She was preparing to untie the knot.

"Don't want it. You ruined it anyways." He was looking back at her over his shoulder, he made sure she could only see his eyes and not the devious grin on his face.

"Oh.. No.. That's okay.. I insist you take it back.. Please.." Lucy was sweating bullets and smiling nervously. _Was he intentionally leaving it?!_

_"_Oh, but _I_ insist you keep it. Can't have you bleeding out now can we." He was fully facing her now - she could see his grin and shuddered.

"Ohhhhhhh no.. No, no, no, no, no. I know what you're doing! Don't even think about it Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez! You take this obi with you!" She was flailing her arms as she attempted to stand and untie the sash at the same time.

Grimmjow laughed as he slowly began to disappear, "What's the matter _Lucy?_ I thought you wanted to be friends. Don't friends visit each other?" He gave her a wink followed by an evil glare and smirk.

"Grimmjooooooow!" She was fully standing now and running towards him. He completely turned back around and put his hands back in his pocket as he completely faded out. _Oh this was gonna be_ **fun.**

Lucy stood in the place Grimmjow had been standing only a second earlier, still attempting to untie the obi even though he wasn't there anymore. Her mouth was hanging completely open as a cold sweat ran down her back, causing a chill to creep up her spine. She was about to have a full blown anxiety attack - she wanted to scream and cry. The idea of Grimmjow popping up anytime he wanted to and most likely destroying half of Magnolia made her nauseous..

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Destruction had just left itself an open door to her world_.._

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_._

_Fiore was screwed.._

* * *

**Muahahahahaha Grimmjow you bad, bad Espada you. Wanting to wreak havoc on poor little Lucy.. And all of Fiore.. Oh when will he ever pop up again?! Muahaha! **

**Don't forget to vote! Poll's in my bio! And it may be a few weeks before I update again :'( I have midterms.. Priorities priorities.. But worry not, the next chapter's halfway written out. **


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